The uniqueness of the architecture in the Lakewood/East Dallas area is due to several factors. One is the artistic use of glass. Whether it’s stained glass, leaded glass or just “plain” glass, it is truly unique. The beauty of much of this glasswork is due to the Molloy Mirror & Art Glass Works Inc., Dallas’ oldest glass works.

Founded in 1908 by Patrick Molloy, who recruited a Czechoslovakian glass cutter named Frank Stransky in 1909, the company is now owned by Jim Prevratil. Today, with the silhouette of the Dallas skyline in the background, the company is still located at 2635 Floyd in the building Molloy and Stransky bought in 1917.

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The talents and abilities of the artisans and craftsmen at Molloy Mirror & Art Glass Works are wide in scope. Old windows, mirrors, frames and furniture can be restored using the old, turn-of-the-century methods. New items can be created to complement old fixtures. Missing stained glass can be matched in an existing frame or window. Even the glass in a clear window or mirror is blown into cylinders the old way, leaving bubbles and waves intact.

Using European-style craftsmanship, the artisans at Molloy accept projects from all over the world. Everything from a mirror or window in a Lakewood home to an ancient, massive door from a European church are examples of their far-reaching reputation and skill. The workrooms are a wonderland of colors and designs, with everything from Venetian mirrors and lamp shades to front doors and cabinet doors.

A Dallas native, Prevratil began working for the company when he was a student at Bryan Adams High School. He hadn’t quite decided what he wanted to do with his life, so he continued working there after graduation. After a time, he bought the company. It’s obvious that the long-time resident is in his element at the old building on Floyd Street and that, as we say in Texas, he “done good”!