Adrian English, owner of Glass Heritage in Davenport, points out some of the features on a project to restore a stained-glass window. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
The glass is an eye catcher. It could be 100-year-old, stained-glass windows creating waves of color in churches or homes. It could be new etched glass designs in businesses. It could be custom designs or restored works of art etched in glass in local libraries, apartment buildings or historic buildings. There are many different projects, […]
The glass is an eye catcher.It could be 100-year-old, stained-glass windows creating waves of color in churches or homes. It could be new etched glass designs in businesses. It could be custom designs or restored works of art etched in glass in local libraries, apartment buildings or historic buildings.There are many different projects, but one company is behind all the glass and craftsmanship – Glass Heritage at 3030 Hickory Grove Road, Davenport.“Our bread and butter is working on churches, preservation work, woodwork and stained glass,” said Adrian English, owner of the business that specializes in almost anything to do with making and restoring glass windows.The business, located on Davenport’s west side, is in its 20th year of glass work. And chances are good that if you see any restored stained-glass window in an area church or business, workers from Glass Heritage had a hand in that project. Here’s a look at just a few of the company’s projects:nStained-glass work in churches: Glass Heritage has tackled projects at First Presbyterian Church in Davenport; Wesley United Methodist in Muscatine, Iowa; Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rock Island; Spencer’s Grove Church in Walker, Iowa; and many other churches.
New work: The company has created new works of stained glass at Alleman High School in Rock Island; the Alverno Health Care facility in Clinton, Iowa; the United Methodist Church in Wapello, Iowa; and the Stonehill Assisi Chapel in Dubuque, Iowa. During a recent tour of the Glass Heritage operations, Mr. English pointed out that his employees were working on a new creation – two stained-glass windows that will go into a church in Aledo, Illinois. “We do more restoration work than new work, but we also love doing the new work,” he added.
Restoration work: Some of Glass Heritage’s restoration work has taken place at the Deere-Wiman House in Moline; Clinton (Iowa) Public Library; Longview Condos in Rock Island; Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport; and a massive restoration project on the Grant Wood Veterans Memorial Window in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. That stained-glass window from 1928 is a tribute to the country’s veterans. It is 24 feet high, 20 feet long and has about 10,000 pieces of stained glass. Mr. English proudly pointed to a photo of the restored window on display in his business. “That project put us on the map,” he added.
Mr. English and the entire Glass Heritage crew look forward to working on many other local and regional projects. However, the business owner said the future of Glass Heritage will probably center on expansion; that is, expanding its business reach to other areas and other kinds of projects. Taylor Cassidy does final detailing on a newly restored stained-glass window at Glass Heritage in Davenport. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSONOne of those expansion goals is to land more work outside of the Quad Cities region. Mr. English said one of those business “hot spots” will be in Wisconsin. The Midwest continues to be a good region for the business because of the many churches and stained-glass windows in those churches, he said. Even the smallest towns in the Midwest often have three or four churches.Another business goal is to find different kinds of jobs. For instance, Mr. English said the company is currently looking at a project in Marion, Iowa, where an old church is being repurposed and converted into an apartment building. He added that might be a growing trend – old buildings being renovated for other purposes – and the building owners could be looking for a company to restore the historic windows in those structures.But no matter what the project, Mr. English said the main reasons the business is thriving center around its high-quality work and great customer service. “When someone calls our studio (to check on a project) everyone knows what’s going on. … They’re not going to be transferred to other people to find out about a project,” he added.Mr. English said that even though Glass Heritage has been in business for 20 years, it is still considered “the new kids on the block.” That’s because it sometimes goes up against glass restoration companies that have been in business for a century or more. One of the advantages the Davenport company has over some of its competitors, he added, is that Glass Heritage will take on any big or small job. (Many larger companies shy away from those smaller jobs, he said.)While the local company is not designed specifically for taking walk-in customers at its Hickory Grove Road location, it does welcome the public to its offices and even gives tours of its studio and work areas to would-be customers. Glass Heritage moved to its current location about four years ago. Before that, the company was located at a site across the street at 3113 Hickory Grove Road. Mr. English said that for some unknown reason the company has been getting much more walk-in traffic at its new location. In many of those visits, customers bring Glass Heritage small window restoration projects and discuss the costs of completing the work.While those small projects can have a relatively modest price tag, the business owner admits the company’s work on bigger projects may not be considered cheap by many people.A Glass Heritage employee works on a stained-glass window in a church. CREDIT GLASS HERITAGEThe business owner would not give specific prices, but does admit there might be a “sticker shock” once people hear those prices. Mr. English said the fees for the work are reasonable once you consider the amount of time, skill and work needed to complete projects. Some major window restoration projects will take a year or two to complete.But when it comes to the many projects, it’s not always just about skill and hard work. Mr. English said that a big part of the work comes down to building relationships with customers. He recently gave this example: Glass Heritage talked with officials from an area church about restoring their stained-glass windows. The talks went on for five years before church officials decided to make the move – and had raised enough money for the project. “There was a tremendous amount of phone calls during that time,” he added.Despite the work it takes in just securing some projects, Mr. English said he’s still optimistic about the business and looks forward to the coming years. The business, he adds, ultimately centers on taking old, worn out windows and making them look new again.“I’m hopeful about the future. This is my passion. This is what I love to do,” said Mr. English.
At-a-glance: Glass Heritage
Location: 3030 Hickory Grove Road, Davenport, in a building that contains about 9,000 square feet. The company has been at that site for about four years. Before that, it was located at a site across the street at 3113 Hickory Grove Road.
Owner: Adrian English
Employees: About 10. Mr. English said that a big part of his role is finding the right person for the job, training them and keeping them on the job. “I strive to keep my good employees around. They are few and far between in my line of work,” he added. Many of his top employees have been with the company for years. For instance, the studio manager has been with Glass Heritage for more than 15 years, the lead designer for about 10 years and the office manager for more than 10 years.
Work: Glass Heritage does restoration and preservation of historic stained glass and offers complete restoration services and custom stained-glass work for site specific applications. In addition, it offers custom designs, etched glass and protective covers for glass.
