United States Glass Company
| Company type | Trust |
|---|---|
| Industry | Glass manufacturing |
| Founded | 1891 |
| Fate | Filed for bankruptcy in 1963; restructured as Tiffin Art Glass Company (Tiffin plant) |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (originally); later Tiffin, Ohio (from 1938) , United States |
| Products | Fine glassware, colored glass kitchenware and dinnerware, lamps, tableware, crystal products |
The United States Glass Company was a trust created through the amalgamation of multiple glass manufacturers, operating factories that extended from western Pennsylvania to Indiana.
History
The establishment of the company was announced by the New York Times on February 9, 1891, initially comprising seventeen factories. After the consolidation phase, two additional plants were constructed: an automated facility located in Gas City, Indiana, and a manual glass production plant in Tiffin, Ohio. Each factory was given a letter designation. The corporate headquarters were originally situated at South 9th and Bingham Streets in Pittsburgh, PA, occupying the former Ripley Glass building, before relocating to Tiffin in 1938. Over subsequent years, the majority of the factories ceased operations, with only the Tiffin site remaining active. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1963; thereafter, the Tiffin operation restructured as "Tiffin Art Glass Company". Additionally, the plant in Glassport, Pennsylvania remained operational until 1963 but was forced to close after a storm caused its water tower to collapse onto the roof, inflicting extensive damage to furnaces that proved uneconomical to repair.
Specialties
- The Tiffin facility was recognized for producing fine glassware featuring intricate etching and notable color applications.
- At Gas City, the plant specialized in manufacturing machine-produced colored glass for kitchenware and dinnerware throughout the 1930s.
- Pittsburgh-based factories focused on embellishing lamps, tableware, and a diverse array of colored glassware and crystal products.
Factory locations
- Factory A - Adams & Co., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1891-?) at S. 10th and Sarah Streets
- Factory B - Bryce Brothers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1891-?) located at S. 21st and Wharton Streets
- Factory C - Challinor, Taylor & Co., Tarentum, Pennsylvania (1891-?)
- Factory D - George Duncan & Sons Glass, Pittsburgh (1891–1892; destroyed by fire)
- Factory E - Richards & Hartley, Tarentum (1891–1893)
- Factory F - Ripley Glass, Pittsburgh (1891-?)
- Factory G - Gillinder, Greensburg, Pennsylvania (1891–1900)
- Factory H - Hobbs Glass Co., Wheeling, West Virginia (1891-1893)
- Factory J - Columbia Glass, Findlay, Ohio (1891-?)
- Factory K - King Glass, Pittsburgh (1891-1930s?)
- Factory L - O'Hara Glass Co., Pittsburgh (1891–1893)
- Factory M - Bellaire Goblet Co., Findlay (1891–1892)
- Factory N - Nickel Plate Glass, Fostoria, Ohio (1891–1894)
- Factory O - Central Glass, Wheeling (1891–1895; later sold)
- Factory P - Doyle & Co., Pittsburgh (1891-?)
- Factory R - A. J. Beatty & Sons, Tiffin (1892–1963; rebuilt in 1893)
- Factory S - A. J. Beatty & Sons, Steubenville, Ohio (1892-?)
- Factory T - Novelty Glass Company, Fostoria (1892-1893)
- Factory U - Gas City, Indiana (1894-?)
- Factory GP - Glassport, Pennsylvania (1895–1963; destroyed by tornado)