The circular stained glass window depicting the Luzerne County seal atop the courthouse dome in Wilkes-Barre must be repaired to correct “serious” bowing, expert analysis shows.

Lead that holds the stained glass panels in place appears to be rapidly failing, according to window restoration consultant Femenella and Associates Inc., of Branchburg, New Jersey. Its report refers to this circular window as the “lay light.”

“This structural weakness, acted on by the force of gravity, has resulted in serious deflection of the lay light panels,” the company wrote in its assessment. “These are now at the stage where they create a hazardous condition and should be addressed as soon as possible.”

The report recommends the county address the repair as soon as funds are available because pieces of glass may become dislodged and fall onto safety netting.

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Fears about falling plaster prompted officials to install see-through netting at the interior dome base several years ago.

Problems with the stained glass were part of a lengthy report detailing millions of dollars in interior restoration work recommended inside the historic 108-year-old courthouse on River Street to clean and repair art and finishes, including water-damaged plaster.

The nationally renowned New York City-based EverGreene Architectural Arts completed and submitted the report to the county administration earlier this year. EverGreene retained Femenella and Associates to assess the stained glass.

The administration is reviewing bids submitted last month from two companies interested in completing the first phase of interior restoration primarily covering work inside the dome and rotunda that requires scaffolding, officials said.

Repairing the circular stained glass is part of this first phase, according to bidding documents and design plans.

The selected contractor must remove and clean these stained glass panels, flatten ones that are bowed, replace weak lead and broken glass, and rehabilitate the steel frame and other components that support the window, the plans say.

Bid documents require the subcontractor handling the stained glass work to be a fully accredited member of the Stained Glass Association of America, provide three references from past projects of similar magnitude and document the skill level of all workers assigned to the project.

The circular stained glass panels had been removed and cleaned in 2005 as part of a project to replace the leaking skylight atop the dome. It had been the first major cleaning in 50 years, officials said at the time.

Femenella’s report said there have been numerous previous lay light repair attempts.

“This has resulted in a number of poor repairs and some poor replacement pieces inserted into the window,” it said.

The report also flagged bowing and other problems with vertical stained glass windows on the dome.

Protective glazing intended to protect the stained glass from exposure to the elements has instead “greatly contributed to the deterioration of these windows,” the report said.

Air trapped between the glazing and glass was not properly vented, which is causing the stained glass to become “super-heated,” the report said, comparing the situation to the inside of a car parked in the sun with the windows tightly closed.

The problem is causing condensation and corrosion of the stained glass leading, it said. The trapped heat also contributes to bowing because it magnifies window expansion and contraction and softens leading.

Some support bars also were not installed on these stained glass windows, causing bowing of the bottom panels, it said.

The report recommends removing the protective glazing system to properly vent the space and removing the lower panels so they can be flattened and equipped with a better support system.

Vertical window repairs are not identified as part of the first phase in a project design plan.

Work was completed on these windows as part of a restoration project several years ago.

County engineer Larry Plesh said he was not involved in past courthouse stained glass projects and was not familiar with the scope of that work.

Femenella’s report said all stained glass repair and restoration projects must be carefully designed, executed and supervised.

“As mentioned elsewhere in this report, many of the maladies that the windows currently suffer from were caused by well-intentioned but misinformed repair attempts of the past,” it said. “Benign neglect can often be a better path to follow than allowing the unskilled and ill-directed to work on the windows.”

The county’s capital plan earmarked $970,000 for courthouse restoration, and county Manager C. David Pedri’s proposed new capital plan would provide another $1.1 million. The state Historical and Museum Commission last month awarded the county an $80,000 grant for the project.

County council members have until Sept. 1 to amend the capital plan. Some have expressed concerns about taking on additional projects because the proposed capital plan would leave only about $1.26 million from past borrowing. It’s unclear when county officials will be willing or able to borrow again because the county owes approximately $325 million through 2028.

Shown at the top of the Luzerne County Courthouse dome is the circular stained glass window containing the county seal. An analysis urges repairs to the window due to structural issues.
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL070917stainedglass1.jpgShown at the top of the Luzerne County Courthouse dome is the circular stained glass window containing the county seal. An analysis urges repairs to the window due to structural issues.

A section of stained glass is shown at the Luzerne County Courthouse.
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL070917stainedglass2.jpgA section of stained glass is shown at the Luzerne County Courthouse.
Report urges courthouse repairsas soon as funding made available

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

jandes@timesleader.com

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.