Steve/sewell
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The first glass manufactory in Vermont was built on the shores of Lake Dunmore.The factory was conceived in 1812 and built during the summer of 1813. The glass works were located near what is present day Sunset Lodge, 99 percent of the output of these works was window glass.However as is usually the case end of day whimsies were a somewhat common item at a lot of our early glass works and they were made at window glass factories also.These two items became available and I had to have them as no one including the pioneer glass historians really researched these works thoroughly.
Henry R. Schoolcraft was born in Albany county, N. Y., in 1793. He settled into Salisbury in 1812 and assisted in the building and managing of the glass-works of the Vermont Company both in Salisbury and in Middlebury. While living at Lake Dunmore he erected a chemical furnace and experimental laboratory, and at the same time studied chemistry and mineralogy under Professor F. Hall, of Middlebury College. Foreign competition, the over-expansion with a plant in East Middlebury, and a bad fire at the Lake Dunmore facility caused glass production to come to a halt in 1817. In 1832, the Lake Dunmore Glass Company was formed and glass making continued through 1842 when the factory went idle for the last time.
I was truly fortunate recently to be able to secure these two very historical items. First I have added to my collection an original script money bill and secondly a small but very color full with out a doubt end of day glass hat from the Lake Dunmore glass works 1813 to 1817.In all of the hats in my collection which number over 25 now none of them have the color attributes of this piece.This hat has the following colors mixed into various random areas.Dark Olive amber,light aqua,yellow olive green,amber,cobalt blue yes cobalt blue that is not a misprint, deep purple,and orange amber.Someone gathered glass from various pots to achieve this effect.The piece is also free blown as no bottle mold was used.The predominant color is dark olive amber,but the other colors are there scattered through out.Both of these items were in a private collection in Mass. until recently.
A unique feature of the Vermont Glass Factory was the issue of its own money (script) in varying values from $1 to 5$. These notes are rare and quite collectable.The signature of the President of the works Samuel Swift is hand signed on every bill denomination.On this particular bill the 1.50 version, Milo cook is listed as the Clerk and his signature is also on the bill.I cant make out the name of the recipient of the bill.If anyone else here at the forum has any of these bills would you please show them here as they are really quite amazing.
Bill Powers has the following web site and I plan to send him this information. http://www.lakedunmorevt.com/history/default.htm Hre are the pictures of each item.
Henry R. Schoolcraft was born in Albany county, N. Y., in 1793. He settled into Salisbury in 1812 and assisted in the building and managing of the glass-works of the Vermont Company both in Salisbury and in Middlebury. While living at Lake Dunmore he erected a chemical furnace and experimental laboratory, and at the same time studied chemistry and mineralogy under Professor F. Hall, of Middlebury College. Foreign competition, the over-expansion with a plant in East Middlebury, and a bad fire at the Lake Dunmore facility caused glass production to come to a halt in 1817. In 1832, the Lake Dunmore Glass Company was formed and glass making continued through 1842 when the factory went idle for the last time.
I was truly fortunate recently to be able to secure these two very historical items. First I have added to my collection an original script money bill and secondly a small but very color full with out a doubt end of day glass hat from the Lake Dunmore glass works 1813 to 1817.In all of the hats in my collection which number over 25 now none of them have the color attributes of this piece.This hat has the following colors mixed into various random areas.Dark Olive amber,light aqua,yellow olive green,amber,cobalt blue yes cobalt blue that is not a misprint, deep purple,and orange amber.Someone gathered glass from various pots to achieve this effect.The piece is also free blown as no bottle mold was used.The predominant color is dark olive amber,but the other colors are there scattered through out.Both of these items were in a private collection in Mass. until recently.
A unique feature of the Vermont Glass Factory was the issue of its own money (script) in varying values from $1 to 5$. These notes are rare and quite collectable.The signature of the President of the works Samuel Swift is hand signed on every bill denomination.On this particular bill the 1.50 version, Milo cook is listed as the Clerk and his signature is also on the bill.I cant make out the name of the recipient of the bill.If anyone else here at the forum has any of these bills would you please show them here as they are really quite amazing.
Bill Powers has the following web site and I plan to send him this information. http://www.lakedunmorevt.com/history/default.htm Hre are the pictures of each item.
