In September of 1978, Tom Clark, founder of Leeds Clark Inc., envisioned starting a business that provided historic preservation services to owners of buildings in small towns across Texas. He realized that many of the buildings in these communities were in serious disrepair. Some were eyesores, while others were in need of typical maintenance. Urban renewal had also altered many of these historic structures during the late 1950's, early 60's. Beautiful facades were covered with aluminum and other materials to give them a more modern look. With the demand for help on these buildings in place, Mr. Clark located retired craftsman in the fields of carpentry, masonry, and interior/exterior finishes and procured their services to teach the trade of historic restoration Mr. Clark hoped the services he envisioned would help restore these buildings back to their original condition and apperance, while protecting as much historic building fabic as possible.


Thirty years and 2,800 projects later, Leeds Clark has emerged as one of the premiere preservation and consulting firms in the country. Mr. Clark and his company have become recognized as an authority in the fields of restoring, replicating, and consulting on historic wood, steel, and aluminum windows. No other firm has been established longer or participated in more projects than Leeds Clark, as it relates to the preservation of historic windows. Because of Mr. Clark's reputation, experience, and technical knowledge, architects and government agencies often consult with Leeds Clark concerning specific historic window projects nationwide. Mr. Clark believes inspection of the widows and its materials is vital in developing a window restoration plan; the condition assessment helps the architect and building owner/s establish needs, offer realistic solutions and specifications, then develop a plan and budget to determine feasibility of the proposed historic window restoration.

Mr. Clark contributes his knowledege of historic windows and his ultimate success in business to "the school of hard knocks". Throught his 30 plus years in buisiness, trial and error and the live and learn mentality is what has helped him master his trade and ultimately defines the services Leeds Clark offers its clients: government agencies, architects, general contractors, and private sector owners. From condition assessment surveys documenting existing window conditions to a full blown historic window restoration project, Leeds Clark offers a wide array of historic window preservation and consulting services. Mr. Clark is very passionate and straightforward in his approach to historic window preservation and has been blessed to be apart of many woderful projects nationwide. Just as each historic window restoration project provides a unique set of circumstances and challenges, so to do the unique and long lasting relationships develop as window preservation efforts transpire.

A snap shot of several of Leeds Clark's most memorable projects includes window restoration and consultation on County, State, and Federal Courthouses; window survey consultation for the Pentagon in Washington D.C.; training and presenting historic window seminars for Main Street Managers and Directors across several states; and complication of a complete case study for historic window survey techniques through Georgia Tech University. Leeds Clark was involved in the restoration of the Hill County Courthouse that burned to the ground in 1990; this building was number one on the National Trust List. Securing the bid for the historic window replication aspect of the preservation effort is one of the highlights of Leeds Clark's work history and reflects the quality and quantity of work this firm is capable of.