The Equinunk Historical Society will welcome Mr. Hank Loftus, Curator of the Dorflinger Glass Museum in White Mills, on Saturday, July 19th, at 1 p.m. Light refresehments will be served.
Mr. Loftus will discuss the Wayne County Glass Industry and try to uncover the mystery of why this industry is so overlooked in historical annals. The following is an excerpt from "The Glass Industry in Wayne County, Pennsylvania" by Barbe & Reed.
“Wayne County in the northeast corner of PA is distinguished by the many glass companies that operated in the county throughout the 19th century and well into the 20th century. Little attention has been given in the literature written by those interested in early American glass to the extensive operations of the various glass companies in Wayne County. The county’s position in American glass history is similar to that of the New England Glass Company, which has always been overshadowed by the Sandwich Glass Company. The latter is better known not on the basis of either the quality or quantity of its products, but on the amount of attention given to the factory in the literature.
Dorflinger glass, made in Wayne County, has gained renewed attention in the past decade, partly because of the establishment of the Dorflinger Glass Museum on the grounds of the original Dorflinger home in White Mills, PA. Dorflinger glass, which has been referred to as the finest but glass ever made in America, graced the dinner tables of the White House from the time of  [Presidents] Lincoln through Wilson. Despite that distinction, it is hardly mentioned today in articles on cut glass, although when photographs are included in these articles, it is often Dorflinger pieces that enhance the text. More than 30 distinct glass companies operated in Wayne County. And if one counts the different names under which they operated at different times, that number is over 50.”
For further information and/or directions, contact the Museum at (570)224-6722.