Glass Towns: Salem, WV

Salem, West Virginia has a long past of glass making beginning with Salem Lamp Chimney Company in 1901. This soon lead to various other glass factories opening in the area, specializing in chimney and window glass. Over the years, glass companies began production of other products including stemware, barware, lighting ware, novelties, and art glass.

Salem glass factories over the years include:

     Salem Lamp Chimney Company (1901-1907)

          lamp chimneys 

     Rand Lamp Chimney Company (1903)

          lamp chimneys

     Salem Window Glass Company (1905-1907)

          window glass

     Salem Co-Operative Window Glass Company (1908-1925)

          window glass

     Modern Window Glass Company (1910-1927)

          window glass

     Alliance Window Glass Company (1915-1928)

          window glass

     Paramount Window Glass Company (1920-1924)

          window glass

     Salem Flint Glass Company (1922-1925)

          lamp chimneys, electric globes and shades

     McBride Glass Company (1927-1962)

          tableware, stemware, lamp chimneys, novelties 

     Alley Glass Company (1928)

          novelties

     Harrison Glass Company (1928-1930)

          perfume and boudoir items

     Glass Products Company (1958-1965)

          lamp chimneys, electric shades and chimneys, milk glass

     Alco Glassware Corp. (1958-1979)

     The Salem Glass Company (1958-1966)

          lamp chimneys, stemware

     Minners Glass Company (1966-1976)

          tableware, stemware, vases, lamp chimneys

     Harglo Glass ( 1976)

          tableware, stemware

     Judel Glass (1985-2005)

          tableware, barware, stemware

     K&R Glassworks (2010-   )

          paperweights, novelties 

Water Street, Salem, WV

Like many glass towns, most of Salem's factories closed down decades ago.   Judel Glass was the last factory to produce any notable quantity of glass.  Specializing in high quality tableware, barware, and stemware, for hotels, bars, and restaurants, they closed their doors in 2005.  

Judel Glass, 2008

What are some specific reasons that these glass towns have become no more?  Think about what we have learned so far, and apply that to specific towns such as Salem.  Do some outside investigation, and choose a glass town where the industry has dried up, presenting your findings in a post similar to this one.  Be sure to include the town's history, the companies that have come and gone, as well as any surviving remnants of glass manufacturing.