I’m pretty sure this place has been explored because it’s fairly well known in my area but I’m posting about it anyhow. Go easy on me, this is my first write-up.
In 1889 a group of men purchased a glass manufacturing facility based in Ohio and relocated it to PA due to its abundant supply of natural gas. Located near Pittsburg, the owners soon found financial backers for their operation and production began in 1890. For 30 years the factory produced many types of glasswares, everything from pressed glass to cut glass. At this point the original management split up and the factory changed names. From then until the end of WWI the company was known for its production of shaped candy jars made out of high quality milk glass or opal. After the war they added a decorating section to the factory and produced specialty decorated glasswares. For this reason they were not forced to close during the great depression leaving them one of the few standing glass factories located in a town known for that industry. They continued operating without much change until a change in ownership in 1980 and in 1984, 94 years after it first opened, the plant stopped operating. It was sold and converted into a storage facility until it was abandoned and sold off.
Historical photos for context:
Between 1993 and 2002 the roof and floor degraded and collapsed leaving the west end of the structure nearly demolished. Today it is a fairly popular location for exploration and due to its easy accessibility it has become an easy target for graffiti artists. On our return trip we even ran into two of them. Due the activity in the are I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s torn down in the next few years like most old industry in my area. There are two glass furnaces and accompanying chimneys still standing. I don’t have a DSLR yet so you’ll just have to forgive the picture quality for now. All pictures were taken on my phone. If there’s enough interest in this site I’ll head back with a better camera once I get one and take new pictures.
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Here are some of the images of the glass furnaces. I really wish I had a better camera for these shots but oh well.
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This is a look under the chimneys. Using only a phone the picture didn't come out great but here it is anyhow.
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[edit: forgot some stuff]
