Museum of Connecticut Glass facts for kids
The Museum of Connecticut Glass is a special place in Coventry, Connecticut. It teaches visitors all about glass from the 1800s. The museum opened its doors on February 12, 1994. You can find it inside the historic Captain John Turner House, which was built in 1813.
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Exploring Glass History
The museum focuses a lot on the glassmaking industry right there in Coventry. Glass factories were very busy in Coventry from about 1814 to 1848. The Captain John Turner House is important because Captain John Turner was one of the first owners of a big glass factory. You can still see the old factory's foundation nearby. The house itself is one of the last buildings left from the National Historic Glass Factory District.
The museum is also doing exciting work outside. They are digging up old pieces of glass, called shards, in a cornfield next to the house. An early owner, Rufus Chamberlain, put these glass pieces there a long time ago. He thought it would "sweeten and aerate the soil," which means make the dirt better for growing crops.
Other Glass Factories in Connecticut
The Museum of Connecticut Glass doesn't just study Coventry's history. It also looks at many other glass factories from around Connecticut. They work to save the stories of these old businesses. Some of these factories include:
- The Pitkin Glassworks in Manchester (1783-1830)
- The Mather Glassworks (1806-1821)
- The West Willington Glass Co. (1814-1872)
- The Glastonbury Glassworks (1816-1833)
- The New London Glassworks (1856-1868)
- The Westford Glass Co. (1857-1873)
- The Meriden Flint Glass Co. (1876-1888)
Future Plans: Sun-Fired Glass
The museum is busy restoring the the Turner House to its original look. They are also working on a super cool project called "Sun-Fired Glass." This will be a way to make glass using only power from the sun. It will be the first of its kind in the entire world!
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