Blenko Glass Company facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Glassware |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Founder | William J. Blenko |
| Headquarters |
Milton, West Virginia
,
United States
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The Blenko Glass Company is a famous company located in Milton, West Virginia. They are known for making beautiful hand-blown glass items.
Contents
History of Blenko Glass
William J. Blenko's Journey
William J. Blenko was born in London, England, in 1853. He started working in a glass factory when he was young. In 1893, he moved to Kokomo, Indiana, in the US. There, he opened the first American factory to make sheet glass for stained glass windows. However, he had to close his factory in 1903 due to tough economic times. He then returned to England.
He tried starting new businesses in 1909 in Point Marion, Pennsylvania, and later in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Both of these attempts did not work out. After that, Blenko worked for other glass companies in Ohio and West Virginia. He even reportedly received a job offer from the famous artist Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Starting the Company
In 1921, William Blenko started another sheet glass company. This time, he chose Milton, West Virginia. He picked this spot because natural gas prices were low there. Low gas prices were very important for glass makers back then. His new company was first called Eureka Glass Company. Later, its name was changed to Blenko.
For a while, William J. Blenko was the only employee. He made and sold all the glass himself. His son, William H. Blenko, joined him in 1923.
When the Great Depression hit, it hurt the stained glass market badly. To keep the company going, Blenko started making stemware and tableware. This began in 1930, after they found two skilled glassblowers to join the company. Even with this change, Blenko still makes hand-blown sheet glass for stained glass windows. They also make architectural glass, which is used in buildings.
Early on, Blenko provided glass for the stained glass windows of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Before 1946, Blenko's tableware was mostly simple and useful. Macy's department store began selling Blenko products in 1932. The White House even has a collection of Blenko tableware that they use sometimes.
Since 1980, the Blenko Glass Company has had a special tradition. Each year, they create limited-edition glass bowls. These bowls celebrate West Virginia's founding birthday.
Blenko in Recent Times
In 2005, a court order caused some money problems for Blenko. In 2009, the company announced it would stop making glass for a while. Some employees had to be laid off. In May 2011, the Blenko Glass Company had to ask for legal protection to reorganize its business.
However, in August 2012, Blenko announced it was reopening! A plan to fix their business was approved by the court in December 2012. This allowed the company to get back on its feet in early 2013. Blenko continued to make beautiful art glass for people to buy. Even with higher fuel costs and a changing market, the company kept going. On August 3, 2015, they held their eighth yearly festival of glass in Milton, West Virginia.
As of 2020, Blenko no longer makes architectural sheet glass.
The Blenko Factory
The Blenko Glass Company has several buildings. These include a Visitor's Center, offices, and areas for making, shipping, and storing glass. On the first floor of the Visitor's Center, you can buy glass items. The upper floor has a small display of Blenko's old work. This includes early pieces from the 1930s and some experimental designs. You can also see a gallery of stained-glass windows made with Blenko sheet glass by different artists.
Next to the Visitor's Center is a special area where you can watch glass being blown. It's amazing to see how they shape the hot glass! Near the center, there is also a "garden of glass." This garden has colorful glass pieces scattered around. They border a small path that goes around part of the factory.
The factory has eight furnaces that are always running.
The Blenko Museum
The Blenko Museum opened in 2000. It shows exhibitions of the company's work all year long. In 2005, the Blenko Museum worked with the Corning Museum of Glass. They helped include Blenko in an exhibition called “Decades in Glass: the ‘50s.” This show featured designs by Wayne Husted.
Blenko in Film
- (documentary) Blenko: Hearts of Glass, PBS
- (documentary) Retro Blenko; Three Designers of American Glass, PBS
Places with Blenko Stained Glass
