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Months prior to the Capitol’s opening in 1879, workers installed 976 pieces of one-inch-thick glass into the rotunda’s iron floor frame. According to newspaper reports, approximately 50 tiles could be installed in a day. Tradition says that these glass tiles—sometimes called illuminated tiles—were produced in Lancashire, England, by the London and Manchester Plate Glass Company.
The British Cast Plate Glass Company’s plant in Ravenhead.
An illustration showing the casting of glass at the British Plate Glass Company in Ravenhead.
The casting hall of the Ravenhead glass works in Lancashire, England.
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Illustration showing the various methods of 19th century glass making in Lancashire, England.
The British Cast Plate Glass Company’s plant in Ravenhead.
Image courtesy of Stephen Wainwright, Sutton Beauty and Heritage
An illustration showing the casting of glass at the British Plate Glass Company in Ravenhead.
Image courtesy of Stephen Wainwright, Sutton Beauty and Heritage
The casting hall of the Ravenhead glass works in Lancashire, England.
Image courtesy of Stephen Wainwright, Sutton Beauty and Heritage
Illustration showing the various methods of 19th century glass making in Lancashire, England.
Image courtesy of The British Plate Glass Factory, St. Helens, Lancashire, Welcome Collection
On January 18, 1931, a fire broke out in the east wing of the ground floor. Determined to be caused by “spontaneous combustion” near a cigar and newspaper stand, the fire spread into the rotunda and cracked more than half of the tiles. The Pressed Prism Plate Glass Co. cast replacements measuring 3/8” thinner than the original tiles.
The 1931 fire led to the replacement of a majority of the original glass floor tiles.
Survey work in 2024 uncovered a label underneath a thought-to-be original tile reading “Pressed Prism Plate Glass Co.”
Factory of the Pressed Prism Plate Glass Company near Morgantown, West Virginia.
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The 1930s tiles were thinner than the originals, thus wood shims were added to raise them to the correct level.
The 1931 fire led to the replacement of well over half of the glass floor tiles. No other photos of the fire are known to exist.
“Corridor of the Capitol Scorched…Burned in Night Blaze.” Lansing State Journal. January 19, 1931.
Survey work in 2024 uncovered a label underneath a previously thought to be original tile reading “Pressed Prism Plate Glass Co., Morgantown, West Virginia.”
Factory of the Pressed Prism Plate Glass Company near Morgantown, West Virginia.
Image courtesy of West Virginia & Regional History Center.
Because the 1930s tiles were 3/8” thinner than the original 1” thick tiles, wood shims were added to raise them to the correct level.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, broken glass floor tiles were replaced with plastic (Lexan) inserts. During our Capitol’s 1987-1992 restoration, contractors replaced both the inserts and other damaged tiles. The College for Creative Studies in Detroit produced forty-seven replicas, which were unfortunately modeled off the 1930s replacements instead of the original 1879 tiles.
This architectural plan crafted by Wigen Tincknell Meyer & Associates in 1990 identifies the 47 tiles to be replaced.
The College of Creative Studies glass studio where the glass tiles were produced in 1991.
The Christman Company managed the project to restore the glass floor and its iron framework.
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Tiles set to be replaced were traced on paper to help guide the shape of the new glass tile to be casted.
This architectural plan drawn by Wigen Tincknell Meyer & Associates in 1990 identifies the forty-seven tiles to be replaced in 1991.
The College of Creative Studies glass studio where the glass tiles were produced in 1991.
The Christman Company managed the project to restore the glass floor and its iron framework.
Tiles set to be replaced were traced on paper to help guide the shape of the new glass tile to be casted.
Before work began, Executive Director Rob Blackshaw led a comprehensive survey to determine which glass tiles were original and which had been replaced since the floor’s installation. The findings, shown in the diagram, guided the replacement of the non-original tiles throughout the floor.
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You'll notice the majority of the remaining original tiles are toward the west end. The 1931 fire occurred underneath the east end.
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Ultimately, workers replaced 716 of the 976 tiles, restoring the floor to its intended uniform appearance while preserving 260 original tiles dating to 1879.
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Removing the glass tiles was a meticulous process. Artisans used an oscillating saw to cut through decades-old grout before cleaning the cast-iron frame and removing the wood shims that propped up each 1930s tile. Upon removal, the old tiles were put into Capitol collections storage for use in future exhibit and reference work.
Workers were careful to limit dust before it could settle on the beautifully restored rotunda artwork.
Loosened from the grout, the tiles were lifted out of their iron framework using vacuum suction cups.
Upon removal, the old tiles were put into museum storage for use in future exhibit and reference work.
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For a brief time, the open floor offered an extraordinary view of the stars painted on the inner dome above.
Workers were careful to limit the spread of dust before it could settle on the beautifully restored rotunda artwork.
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson Photography.
Loosened from the old grout, the tiles were lifted out of their iron framework using vacuum suction cups.
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson Photography.
Upon removal, the old tiles were put into Capitol collections storage for use in future exhibit and reference work.
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson Photography.
For a brief time, the open floor offered an extraordinary view of the stars painted on the inner dome above.
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson Photography.
After the cast-iron frame was cleaned, foam striping and caulk created a stable bed for the new glass. Installers selected a caulk that matches the original grout color as a more durable, reversible alternative that will simplify future preservation efforts.
New glass tiles arrived in carefully packed crates from Lucid Glass Studio in Providence, Rhode Island.
To verify the scanned dimensions of each space, corrugated plastic tiles were cut to size and test-fitted in place.
Quarter-inch foam striping was installed within the cast-iron frame to cushion and support the new glass tiles.
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A protective wall with windows allowed visitors to watch the restoration process while keeping the floor accessible.
To verify the scanned dimensions of each space, corrugated plastic tiles were cut to size and test-fitted in place.
New glass tiles arrived in carefully packed crates from Lucid Glass Studio in Providence, Rhode Island.
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson Photography.
Quarter-inch foam striping was installed within the cast-iron frame to cushion and support the new glass tiles.
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson Photography.
A protective wall with viewing windows allowed Capitol visitors to watch the restoration process while keeping the floor accessible throughout the project.
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson Photography.
Over time, repairs and replacements left the Capitol’s glass floor with a patchwork of mismatched tiles. This project restores the floor’s historic visual uniformity while establishing standards to protect its appearance, character, and purpose for generations to come.
This photo shows an 1879 tile (left), 1930s tile (center), and a 2025 tile (right).
This photo shows a grouping of 1930s tiles. Note the wood shims that can be seen underneath each edge of the tiles.
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This photo shows a grouping of 2025 tiles. Overtime, natural wear will darken the caulk and roughen the edges of the tiles.
This photo shows an 1879 tile (left), 1930s tile (center), and a 2025 tile (right).
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson Photography.
This photo shows a grouping of 1930s tiles. Note the wood shims that can be seen underneath each edge of the tiles.
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson Photography.
This photo shows a grouping of 2025 tiles. Overtime, natural wear will darken the caulk and roughen the edges of the tiles.
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson Photography.
Before Restoration
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After Restoration
Before the 2025-2026 Restoration.
Image courtesy of David Marvin.
After the 2025-2026 Restoration.
Image courtesy of Dave Thompson.
A key factor in making this project possible was finding the right contractors for the job - a team that could not only recreate glass tiles to match the originals, but that would also understand the importance of the project. With an impressive portfolio of work, including several historic glass floor restorations, Lucid Glass Studio of Providence, Rhode Island was selected for the job.
The team at Lucid Glass Studio in East Providence, Rhode Island.
Lucid glazier gathering a sample of molten glass for color testing to match an original glass floor tile.
Glaziers using blow torches to control the cooling of a hot poured glass tile.
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Lucid glass sample tile comparison with an original tile from the Capitol’s glass floor.
The team at Lucid Glass Studio in East Providence, Rhode Island.
Lucid glazier gathering a sample of molten glass for color testing to match an original glass floor tile.
Glaziers using blow torches to control the cooling of a hot poured glass tile.
Lucid Glass sample comparison with an original tile (control sample) from the Capitol’s glass floor.
Custom-colored glass is heated to more than 2,400°F and refined to remove impurities before being slowly poured into a mold.
The glass is then carefully annealed for 24–30 hours to relieve internal stresses before being cooled to room temperature.
Finally, each tile is waterjet-cut to its precise size, sandblasted to match the original tiles, and prepared for shipment from Providence, Rhode Island to Lansing, Michigan.