• PIERRE, S.D. - A project to restore the century-old stained glass in the state Capitol will begin on July 29.
• The four large skylight installations in the Capitol rotunda dome, House and Senate chambers and above the grand marble staircase will be removed, restored and reinstalled during the next fourteen months.
• A detailed condition assessment of the stained glass was completed in April. Significant problems were found as age, gravity and original material and design weaknesses have taken their toll since the stained glass was installed in 1909.
• "The glass is bowing badly enough in spots that it could fail if it's allowed to get much worse," said Paul Kinsman, Commissioner of the state's Bureau of Administration. "We've done spot repairs over decades and even those fixes are now failing."
• Each of the 199 large panels of stained glass will be removed, placed in a custom shipping frame and transported to Conrad Schmitt Studios just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There the panels will be disassembled. The glass pieces will be repaired and releaded, and the panels rebuilt. New structural supports will be added to ensure even longer-term strength.
• The stained glass in the Rotunda dome will be the first to be removed. Portions of the second floor Rotunda will be closed to foot traffic during July and August.
• The House and Senate chamber stained glass will be removed following the con

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