Week 3: Morgantown, WV Glass Town

Morgantown has a rich history in glass factories, one of the earliest of those factories was Seneca Glass (1896-19840).As Morgantown, WV changed over the time so did the glass factories, from beginning of Seneca Glass to the day the doors were closed there were around 20 different glass factories within Morgantown. These companies ranged in making window glass to bar-ware and vases.

Seneca Glass (1896 -1983)

• WV Encyclopedia
• Morgantown Glass Museum
• Identify Seneca Glass

This once rich glass factory made many of the elegant pieces that dignitaries would purchase (e.g. Lyndon Johnson). The glass pieces that came from this factory were water sets, vases, decanters, and such forth. Some pieces would take up to fourteen hours to mold. These pieces would be the hand cut crystalline glassware. Some characteristics of the crystalline glassware would be the refractive appearance (due to lead) and a bell ring once struck.

Morgantown Glass Works (1899-1903)

• WV Encyclopedia
• John F Kennedy Museum
• Glass Industry

This is another well known glass factory, mainly because it gained national attention when Jacqueline Kennedy selected and elegant colorless piece of glassware for the White House. I have read different accounts where this company had the factory right next to Seneca Glass to where it was part of Seneca Glass. This company also spent time in making vases, pitcher, tumblers, and stemware.

Once glassware was established companies like United States Window Glass Company and W.R. Jones Glass Company decided to make window glass. This only became possible because of the improvement of the railroad. With the advancements in railways tit allowed companies to come to West Virginia to make cheap glass that could compete against other glass factories.