New Stained Glass Window In Place At City Hall

There wasn't much fanfare, but the new stained-glass window was recently installed in the center stairwell between the second and third floors at Battle Creek's City Hall. The new window features the City Hall building, which opened 105 years ago today, October 21st, 1914.

The historical plaque outside the building notes the presence of the stained glass window with the original city logo.

But that logo, which depicts a skirmish between surveyors and native Americans has become objectionable to some people and was removed a few months ago. That plan was started more than a year ago.The Native American Heritage Fund approved a payment of $3,377 to the City of Battle Creek, to cover half of the cost of the replacement of the window.

Full Spectrum Stained Glass of Colon removed the original stained glass window, and replaced it with a mosaic medallion style similar to other windows in the building.  Valerie McCartney, who owns Full Spectrum with her husband, did the art work.  She says he goal is always to make the new window match the artistic intent of the original, as much as possible.

Full Spectrum Stained Glass does mostly commercial work, for churches and universities.  They just finished restoring all 540 windows at the Michigan Union in Ann Arbor.  McCartney says 80% of their work is restoration.

The original glass has been donated to a local historical preservation group.

The new window may be seen at city hall during regular business hours, but it's required that building security be made aware first.

Battle Creek's City Hall was first  first opened to the public on October 21, 1914.    The Beaux-Arts style building was designed by architect Ernest W. Arnold was constructed of brick and stone, with rusticated (rough) stone on the first floor. The interior included cherry trim and the use of marble throughout .  In including furnishings, the building cost the city $305,000.   The site had been chosen back in 1911 after considerable controversy and it took three years to construct the building.  City Hall was restored in the 1990s and now contains a gallery of historic photos.