Hand Blown Glass Art

When you first speak about West Virginia art glass, two reknowned glass companies come to mind – Blenko Glass and Fenton Glass.

The first Blenko Glass company was first founded in Kokomo, Indiana in 1893 by William Blenko who grew up in London and learned glassmaking there.  

However, that factory closed in 1903 and he moved to variosu places before finally settling in Milton, WV where there were low gas prices there.  At 67 years of age, William Blenko began blowing glass cylinders and then flattening them into sheets.  He developed a ruby red sheet glass that finally put his company on the map.

In the late 1920’s the company began making handblown vases and otherglass tableware.  Today Blenko produces all types of unique hand blown glass.

The Fenton Art Glass Company was founded in 1905 by Frank and John Fenton in Martins Ferry, WV.  In 1907 this company moved to Williamstown, WV.  In 1907 Fenton introduced " "Iridescent" glass which is now known as "Carnival" glass.

Fenton glass made tableware and other glass art items that were made in a wide range of colors.

There are museums at the factory locations of both Blenko and Fenton where visitors can see the artisans at work making hand blown glass objects.

Blenko Glass Company

A comfortable 35-minute drive from Charleston, the Blenko Glass Visitor Center and Museum, guests can learn about the fine art of hand blown glassware, and watch the company’s craftsmen at work. Inside the museum are the numerous award- winning … she has photos of the workers, glass, and other things daily. It is a good blog for all of west virginia. She is passionate about the state of W. Va. # 10 January 2009 at 4:30 pm. Brenda said: I love going to Blenko glass.

West Virginia’s Glassmaking Heritage

Thanks mainly to West Virginia’s abundance of natural gas and silica, more than 500 glass factories have operated in the state since the early 1800s, producing everything from art glass and marbles to pop bottles and windshields.

Fenton Glass

Fenton Glass is one of the most popular, if not the most popular make of carnival and milk glass. Collectors avidly seek it in antique shops and in on-line auctions. Among the favorite forms of many glass collectors are the hens on nests.