Background
Situated on 43 acres of plateau region in Sparta, Georgia, and predating the American Civil War, Glen Mary, is a two-story Greek Revival mansion; one of the first and last remaining of its kind in the United States. Glen Mary is complete with large front-facing Greek columns, 34 original windows, a grand Steinway piano, detailed plasterwork cornice on the ceilings and hundreds of irreplaceable historical artifacts and fabrics dating back to 1840. After changing owners multiple times since its construction in 1848, Glen Mary is now an artist’s retreat for writers, painters, musicians and performing artists who draw inspiration from both its history and beauty. Marilyn Meyers, the executive director of Glen Mary as well as the founder of Preservation America, purchased the property in 1999 and has lived in the house and painstakingly tended to its upkeep and preservation ever since.
Situation
Glen Mary has weathered over 170 years of blaring Georgia sunlight and extreme heat and its history was slowly being washed out by the many years of sun exposure. To keep everything including period furniture, artwork and textiles from fading and being ruined, the home was often kept in the dark with curtains tightly drawn. Meyers desperately wanted to bring the space into the light again. After purchasing the property, Meyers wrote grants for eight years before she was granted funds for overdue and badly needed structural repairs. When it came to the original windows, it only took Meyers one call to 3M relaying her story and inquiring about window treatment options to identify a solution to help preserve the history of Glen Mary. Together, 3M and Meyers decided on installing 3M™ Thinsulate™ Climate Control Window Film, a low-emissivity (low-e) film, to provide heat and UV protection to help preserve and extend the life of the home’s precious furniture and artwork as well as achieve energy efficiencies.
3M Solution
Without installing 3M™ Thinsulate™ Climate Control Window Film, a variety of restoration projects wouldn’t have been feasible, like applying precious French wallpaper from the 1830s to the walls in the stunning double parlor room. Without protection from
damaging UV rays, there would have been too much risk to the artwork, furnishing and finishes in the space. Thinsulate™ Climate Control Window Film has allowed Glen Mary to come back to life. The window film was installed on all 34 original windows at Glen Mary. This allowed Meyers to draw back the curtains and open the house without fear of deteriorating or damaging any artifacts. Although the window films were applied directly to the historical windows, it does not take away from the beauty nor diminish the historical value of the home. The film offers high light transmission with a neutral appearance and after application, is virtually undetectable. While nearly invisible, it works hard to block harmful UV rays that would otherwise deteriorate Glen Mary’s period furnishings, artwork and finishes. Furthermore, the film has drastically reduced the heating and cooling demands of the home, a benefit Meyers has been thrilled to experience. Thinsulate™ Window Film helps keep Meyers and guests of Glen Mary comfortable all year long. The unique low-e window film helps retain warmth in the winter and cool air in the hot Georgia summer by increasing the windows’ insulation value.
Results
3M™ Thinsulate™ Climate Control Window Film has allowed Glen Mary to move toward the future without fear of lasting damage to its irreplaceable historical artifacts. Glen Mary now has the opportunity to physically reopen as the flourishing artist retreat Meyers has always envisioned. 3M™ Thinsulate™ Climate Control Window Film has helped preserve the beauty and historical marvel of Glen Mary to be enjoyed for generations.