Repairing two antique stained glass windows at Meadow Brook Hall damaged by vandals will cost close to $35,000 and officials have started a unique fundraiser to pay for it.

The windows were designed to be visible from outside and inside, near the ground outside but close to the top of the two-story ballroom below ground.

Katie Higgins, a Meadow Brook spokeswoman, said the vandal was lucky he didn’t get through the window because of the distance above the ballroom floor.Meadow Brook is part of Oakland University.

The 88,000-square-foot home is the fourth largest home in the U.S. with a National Historic Landmark designation, and nearly twice the size of the White House.

To pay for the repairs, Meadow Brook created “The 1929 Club,” a fundraiser asking people to donate $19.29 monthly. If 150 people commit to the donation for a year, the repairs can be fully funded, according to Meadow Brook officials. If donations exceed the repair costs, the additional money will be used for the preservation of the estate and its 75,000 artifacts.

“We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support we’ve received and are so grateful to the more than 100 people who have already joined the 1929 Club,” said Bill Matt, Meadow Brook’s executive director, adding that the money will be used to restore “these beautiful and unique stained glass windows at this National Historic Landmark.”

He called the damage “a very distressing situation for all of us …” from staff and dedicated volunteers to visitors who have made Meadow Brook Hall tours a holiday tradition or have been married in the historic building.

Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett was the first to become a 1929 Club member. He called Meadow Brook Hall the community’s “unique gem.”

“After the vandalism, we want to get Meadow Brook Hall looking beautiful and back on its feet as quickly as possible,” he said in a video appeal to residents and fans of the estate to join the 1929 Club.

Built for $7 million in 1929, the Tudor-revival estate is considered the dream home of Michigan’s first female lieutenant governor, Matilda Dodge Wilson. She was married to automotive pioneer John Dodge and after his death married lumber baron Alfred Wilson.

The Wilsons built 110-room Meadow Brook Hall for their blended family and later donated the 1,400-acre estate, its buildings and $2 million to Michigan State University to co-found what is now Oakland University.

The vandalism earlier this month remains an unsolved crime.

The windows were damaged late Feb. 3 or early Feb. 4 when, police believe, the suspect kicked in one window and smashed another with an unknown tool.

Oakland University Police Chief Mark Gordon said detectives “continue to ask for information from the community if they have anything to share.”

Security video captured images of the suspect. He is wearing a knit cap with a Red Wings logo and a dark jacket with a distinctive logo on its back.

“We’ve all tried to figure out the logo on the jacket — you can almost tell, but not quite,” said Higgins. “If someone is familiar with it, they’ll be able to pick it out, but to my knowledge no one has, so far.”

Gordon said CrimeStoppers is offering a reward for tips leading to the suspect’s arrest and conviction.

The vandalism didn’t stop Meadow Brook’s touring season, which started last month.

People can make self-guided tours, go with a group and a docent or participate in some of the special events available Fridays through Tuesdays in March. One is a Downton Abbey-inspired look at the servants’ lives from 1929 through the 1940s and includes costumed reenactors. Another is an after-dark visit led by a flashlight-toting docent showcasing details often missed during daylight tours.

Learn more about The 1929 Club, visit meadowbrookhall.org/help-restore-meadow-brooks-historic-windows-by-joining-the-1929-club">https://meadowbrookhall.org/help-restore-meadow-brooks-historic-windows-by-joining-the-1929-club.

For tour information, visit meadowbrookhall.org.

Anyone who can help police identify the suspect or the logo on his jacket is asked to contact OU police at (248) 370-3331 or info@oupolice.com.

Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can contact CrimeStoppers, which offers cash rewards for information leading to arrests and convictions. Visit https://www.1800speakup.org or call 800-SPEAK-UP or (800) 773-2587.