Tiffany Stained Glass Windows Being Restored at Second Presbyterian Church (1936 S. Michigan)

If architectural preservation is your type of thing, we suggest heading over to Chicagoarchitecture.org to read about a story at a local church:

At a time when too many of Chicago’s holy places are being abandoned, or worse, we bring you a good news story out of the South Loop. The enormous Tiffany window at Second Presbyterian Church has been removed for conservation.

Thousands of people have admired the 16-foot-tall window during services, tours, and community events. It was designed by Tiffany Studios in 1895, and is titled “St. Paul Preaching at Athens.”

Recently, it was removed from the church for a year-long restoration, which will clean the 22 panels and thousands of pieces of glass that comprise the window. In addition, the structural supports have to be replaced.

A horizontal slice of the window was restored in the late 90’s, and really demonstrated how badly the whole thing needed to be cleaned. Many of the figures depicted in the window can barely be seen.