Michigan Stained Glass Census

Home
United States
East Lansing, MI
Michigan Stained Glass Census

The Michigan Stained Glass Census, which began in 1992 as part of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program, is a statewide survey of architectural stained glass.

Statewide, community-engaged research project documenting Michigan architectural stained glass coordinated by the Michigan Traditional Arts Program at Michigan State University Outreach and Engagement. With the help of Volunteer Census Takers, the Census is locating, recording, and photographing stained glass windows throughout Michigan. The information collected by Census Takers is maintained in a computerized archive at Michigan State University. Matrix: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences. The Michigan State University Museum holds a small collection of objects related to Michigan's stained glass history. The Michigan Stained Glass Census is an ongoing project that focuses attention on a long-neglected portion of Michigan's cultural heritage. By researching and recording information about the origins, styles, and subject matter of architectural stained glass, the Census is creating an invaluable resource of visual and documentary material related to Michigan's social, religious, and art history. The Census is also encouraging individuals and groups to better appreciate and preserve the stained glass treasures in their own communities.

10/20/2026

St. Augustine Catholic Church at 6481 Faussett Rd in Deerfield Township was designed by Harry J. Rill of Detroit and built in 1895. The origins of the stained glass windows inside are undetermined.

Clipping #1: Detroit News, February 19, 1895
Clipping #2: Detroit Free Press, May 21, 1895

Learn more about the architectural details of this structure in the online pages of the Michigan Stained Glass Census: https://michiganstainedglass.org/collections/building.php/id=208-792-1004/

10/19/2026

The Ypsilanti Historical Museum, located at 220 N. Huron Street, was built as the residence of Asa Dow in 1860. Find inside a Tiffany Window fabricated c.1890 and inscribed with the phrase "Starkweather Library Building." Now illuminated by artificial light, the window was transplanted in the late 20th century from the Ladies Library Building just two lots to the south at 130 N. Huron.

Learn more about the Tiffany window at this site in the online pages of the Michigan Stained Glass Census: https://michiganstainedglass.org/collections/window.php/id=208-790-8839/

Temple Beth El is located at 7400 Telegraph Rd in Bloomfield Township. It was constructed 1972-1974 and designed by Mino...

10/10/2026

10/08/2026

Temple Beth El is located at 7400 Telegraph Rd in Bloomfield Township. It was constructed 1972-1974 and designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the same Detroit-based architect who designed New York City's World Trade Center Towers, tragically toppled on 9/11. Find inside Temple Beth El a series of ornamental windows of undetermined origin, first transplanted from the congregation's prior Albert Kahn-designed Temple Beth El (1903) at 3424 Woodward Avenue, and then transplanted from the congregation's next Albert Kahn-designed Temple Beth El (1922) at 8801 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

Clipping #1: Detroit News, August 31, 1974
Clipping #2: Detroit Free Press, November 30, 1901

Learn more about the stained glass at this location in the online pages of the Michigan Stained Glass Census: https://michiganstainedglass.org/collections/building.php/id=208-792-657/

Stayed tuned for one more post regarding the decorative windows of Temple Beth El, coming up on Saturday.

10/06/2026

Temple Beth El is located at 7400 Telegraph Rd in Bloomfield Township. It was constructed 1972-1974 and designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the same Detroit-based architect who designed New York City's World Trade Center Towers, tragically toppled on 9/11. Find inside Temple Beth El a series of windows depicting the Ten Commandments, designed and fabricated by Heinigke & Smith of New York City, and transplanted from the congregation's prior Albert Kahn-designed Temple Beth El (1922) at 8801 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

Clipping #1: Detroit News, August 31, 1974
Clipping #2: Detroit News, November 6, 1920

Learn more about the stained glass at this location in the online pages of the Michigan Stained Glass Census: https://michiganstainedglass.org/collections/building.php/id=208-792-657/

Stayed tuned for two more posts regarding the decorative windows of Temple Beth El, coming up on Thursday and Saturday.

Located at 25800 W. Ten Mile Road in the city of Southfield, the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Mausoleum was designed by Harle...

09/29/2026

09/27/2026

Located at 25800 W. Ten Mile Road in the city of Southfield, the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Mausoleum was designed by Harley, Ellington & Day of Detroit and constructed 1948-1949. Interspersed among the numerous stained glass windows within is a sizable collection of works of undetermined origin.

Clipping #1: Detroit Times, March 21, 1948
Clipping #2: Detroit News, May 28, 1950

Learn more about the stained glass at this site in the online pages of the Michigan Stained Glass Census: https://michiganstainedglass.org/collections/building.php/id=208-792-561/

Stay tuned for one more post about the stained glass windows of Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Mausoleum, coming up tomorrow.

09/26/2026

Located at 25800 W. Ten Mile Road in the city of Southfield, the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Mausoleum was designed by Harley, Ellington & Day of Detroit and constructed 1948-1949. Interspersed among the numerous stained glass windows within is a sizable collection designed and fabricated by Willet Studios of Philadelphia. Many are identifiable by corporate insignia found upon the glass, while others are assumed to be Willet based on stylistic similarities to other confirmed examples.

Clipping #1: Detroit Times, March 21, 1948
Clipping #2: Detroit News, May 28, 1950
Clipping #3: The Churchman, September 21, 1929

Learn more about the stained glass at this site in the online pages of the Michigan Stained Glass Census: https://michiganstainedglass.org/collections/building.php/id=208-792-561/

Stay tuned for additional posts about the stained glass windows of Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Mausoleum, coming up on Sunday and next Monday.

09/23/2026

Located at 25800 W. Ten Mile Road in the city of Southfield, the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Mausoleum was designed by Harley, Ellington & Day of Detroit and constructed 1948-1949. Interspersed among the numerous stained glass windows within is a sizable collection designed and fabricated by Willet Studios of Philadelphia. Many are identifiable by corporate insignia found upon the glass, while others are assumed to be Willet based on stylistic similarities to other confirmed examples.

Clipping #1: Detroit Times, March 21, 1948
Clipping #2: Detroit News, May 28, 1950
Clipping #3: The Churchman, September 21, 1929

Learn more about the stained glass at this site in the online pages of the Michigan Stained Glass Census: https://michiganstainedglass.org/.../buil.../id=208-792-561/

Stay tuned for additional posts about the stained glass windows of Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Mausoleum, coming up on Friday, Sunday and next Monday.

09/18/2026

Grace Episcopal Church of Traverse City is located at 341 Washington St. Its construction history is complex. The oldest portions of the present building were constructed on State Street in 1876 and originally served as the congregation's sanctuary, but are now the narthex, and greatly altered, to boot. This former sanctuary was moved to the present location of the present sanctuary in the 1890s. Church histories claim 1891, but a Traverse City Record Eagle clipping reports 1897. Additionally, when the present sanctuary was constructed in 2006, the old sanctuary that is now the narthex was moved about 50 feet to the west of the present sanctuary. Find inside these unified structures, interspersed amongst their sixteen stained glass windows, seven examples of undetermined origin.

Clipping: Traverse City Record Eagle, October 10, 1897

Learn more about the windows at this location in the online pages of the Michigan Stained Glass Census:https://michiganstainedglass.org/collections/building.php/id=208-792-974/

Address

Michigan Traditional Arts Program
East Lansing, MI
48824

Website

http://michiganstainedglass.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Michigan Stained Glass Census posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Michigan Stained Glass Census:

Want your museum to be the top-listed museum in East Lansing?