GREASY GRIME TO GLITTERING GEM
The prismatic glass project got its impetus from work done on the Sewell’s Hardware building at 221 East Park Street. That project came about when Mary McCormick, Butte’s Historic Preservation Officer, saw a similar project elsewhere in the state and secured grant funds from the Montana History Foundation and the Urban Revitalization Agency to clean, repair and restore the 30’ x 3’ window. Although the structure behind the window does not allow the light to reflect into the interior, the owner has lighted the window so that the Sewell’s sign shines through. CPR made a monetary contribution to that project and recruited the volunteers, many of the same volunteers who worked on this project. This is a window that should be seen in person.
In 2020 and 2021, volunteers have scoured and scraped, rubbed and scrubbed, sanded and polished to restore two beautiful prismatic windows in Uptown Butte. Prismatic glass was used to light the interiors of buildings before electricity was invented. The glass has one side that is smooth and the other side that has sharp ridges that reflect the light that passes through and throws light into dark interiors. The particular glass used in Butte was mostly Luxfer prismatic glass made by a company formed in the late 1800s.
For this project, CPR volunteers restored two windows. The first was at 7 South Montana. The window was covered on the outside with black paint. Although the paint hid the beauty of the window, it actually protected it from the elements to an extent.
The second window at 15 West Broadway is a wonderful example of how the prismatic glass works to provide light in the interior of the building. This window, made up of three sections, is not only functional but also is stunning because the framing and crosspieces were plated in copper. Only a personal visit to 15 West Broadway can provide the view necessary to fully appreciate the craftsmanship that went into the construction of the panels. Be sure to do it when the sun is shining.
Funding for this project came from SARTA (the Superfund Advisory and Trust Authority) and the Urban Revitalization Agency.
The Sewell’s sign at 221 East Park Street before being removed for restoration.
in the news
For more information about the project, see an article from The Montana Standard on our In the News page.
Some of the lead strips that hold the glass in place were failing, causing portions of the window to buckle.
Prismatic Glass Restoration
Butte CPR’s prismatic glass repair project for 2020 is finished! Our window contractor removed the fixed transom window at 7 S. Montana Street in mid-July, and the volunteers immediately got busy with paint removal, cleaning, polishing, and resoldering. The crew also stripped the copper molding that spans the length and width of the entire 3 x 18-foot window. It really is quite beautiful. The window was reinstalled on November 5. Now the public can see firsthand the results of our thoughtful restoration.
Meanwhile, our volunteer coordinator Lee Whitney has met with the owner of another commercial property that sports prismatic glass. He is very interested in the transom restoration project and we hope to receive his commitment soon so that work can begin in the Spring of 2021.
Thanks to partial funding by the Superfund Advisory & Redevelopment Trust Authority (SARTA) and the Urban Revitalization Agency (URA), the financial commitment of property owners, and the dedicated efforts of volunteers, we are restoring a handful of commercial prismatic glass windows in Uptown Butte one window at a time.