TOP ROW - Peck Stained Glass

Stained Glass Window, 1892

Original Owner: Horace B. Peck

This window came from the Peck House that once stood next to the Public Library in downtown Kalamazoo. The home’s original owner, local banker Horace B. Peck, built it around 1892. The Board of Education purchased the home in 1927 for use as a public museum. 

Saving a Piece of History

The Peck House and adjacent library were demolished in 1957 to make way for a single, modern structure—the Kalamazoo Public Library & Museum. The director of the museum, Alexis Praus, saved the window from the wrecking ball. It remained in storage until 1996 when the Museum installed it in this building.

From Church to Home

Stained glass windows first appeared in European cathedrals during the 10th century. As churches became larger, stained glass windows were used to let in natural light and to depict biblical scenes and figures. In the 1800s, stained glass windows began to appear in private homes such as the Peck House in Kalamazoo.