Museum of Connecticut Glass

Home

Connecticut Glassworks

Fund Raising

Links

Upcoming Events

Contact The Museum

Board and Officers

Museum History

Flyers

Reprints



Glass Sites Without Substantial Documentation

While several charters for making glass were granted, few records are available that document whether glass was actually manufactured at a given site. This page describes several of these sites. Museum Board member Bruce Mitchell provided this information.


Wallingford - 1883

Diane Tobin reports in her book, THE MERIDEN FLINT GLASS COMPANY: AN ABUNDANCE OF GLASS, and supported by a very interesting series of 1886 newspaper articles, that the Morse & Brooks Glass Company was established in Wallingford for about 6 months in 1883 when it was burned to the ground by one of the owners, Frank H. Morse. The newspaper articles can be accessed by clicking here. Bruce thinks there may also have been a second glass works associated with Wallingford, but documentation supporting this isn't currently available.

New Haven - 1790; Woodbury - 1820

While the rights to produce glass were granted in both New Haven and Woodbury, very little evidence exists that any glass was ever produced in either locale. Speculation is that making glass turned out to be more difficult than the entrepreneurs had anticipated.

Hartford - 1827

Bruce is aware that there was a glass operation chartered in 1827, but there is no other definitive information currently available on it. Another possible glass enterprise with little or no available firm information is provided by Ken Wilson in his book, NEW ENGLAND GLASS & GLASSMAKING. Wilson mentions the Hartford Glass Manufactory as being in operation in 1827 and owned by two merchants, Merrow & Bidwell. An ad placed in the Hartford Connecticut Courant, December 10, 1827 indicates glass manufacturing but there is no additional supporting information. The question arises as to whether Merrow & Bidwell actually manufactured glass or whether they were only merchants of glass products.