St. Augustine's Chapel Windows Return

The restored stained glass windows for the historic chapel on the campus of Saint Augustine's University came home last week. The University received a grant from the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) program at the National Park Service to restore the windows and the pews in the ca. 1895 chapel. The chapel, the oldest extant building on the campus, is a Raleigh Historic Landmark and a contributing resource in the University's National Register historic district. It was built by students using stone quarried on the site. The condition of the windows had deteriorated over the course of over a century. Some panes were cracked or broken, metal supports had weakened, and wooden frames needed reinforcement. The windows needing the greatest attention were taken off-site by Epiphany Studios for intervention. Those windows were reinstalled in the chapel last week and minor repairs on the reminder of the windows and the installation of protective glazing will continue into June. After the windows have been restored, work will begin on rehabilitating the chapel pews.

The success of the project has rested on the strong collaboration among the administration of St. Augustine's, the National Park Service, the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office, and the Raleigh Historic Development Commission. Hanbury Preservation Consulting has served as a project manager for the grant.

“The University is extremely grateful for the National Park Service for the grant. This chapel is one of the most beautiful sacred spaces in North Carolina. This award allows us to preserve its beauty for students, alumni and the entire community,” said Reverend Hershey Mallette Stephens, Dean of the Chapel and Chaplain. “Our chapel is an icon of SAU’s rich history. It symbolizes the faith of those who came before us and the hope of the students learning at this great institution today.”