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The Barberton Glass Novelty & Specialty Co. The Barberton Glass Novelty and Specialty Company was in business from 1906 to 1908, when it finally burnt to the ground. It was started by James Harvey Leighton and some previous employees from the failed Navarre glass works. The
Barberton Glass Novelty & Specialty Company Sept 16th,
1906- April 24th, 1908 Sometime early in 1906, James
Harvey Leighton was bitten by the glass marble bug again, and partnered up
with some former Navarre employees to start The Barberton Glass Novelty
& Specialty Company. Leighton’s part of this venture would involve
supplying the glass and other technical know how.
Photo showing Brian Graham standing in the excavation units at the factory site. The hole is 2 by 1 meters and about a meter deep. All artifacts were recovered in the bottom strata. The only other glass marble
manufacturer at this time was the M.F. Christensen, whom Leighton had acted
as a consultant for. Even by 1906, M.F. Christensen was already supplying
the market with good quality toy and industrial marbles. Leighton was aware
of the M.F. Christensen product line, he had given Martin Christensen all of
the glass formulas he used, and even helped Mr. Christensen in a limited
capacity to perfect his marble-making machine. The machine could easily out
produce the handmade method employed and patented by Leighton. The
machine-made marbles were also perfectly round.
A box of artifacts that were recovered during excavations at the Barberton factory site. Collection of Brian Graham In order for these two companies
to go head-to-head, Leighton had to produce different looking marbles, as
well as have a diversified product line. Like at Navarre and Steubenville,
the Barberton company would also produce glass tiles, knobs, molded colored window
pains, furniture casters, etc. The marbles made would be different by the
use of exotic colors not used by M.F. Christensen, which included green
aventurine, pink and a multitude of other bright colors such as a vibrant
lime green. The company manufactured its first
marbles on Monday, September 17, 1906, in its factory located at the corner
of Hopocan Ave. and 7th St.. The factory site was once a planning
mill on Barberton’s North side. The factory building was a frame
structure, which surrounded a tall brick glass furnace. Little is known
about the daily operations of the factory. The only other information found
in the local newspapers was unfortunately about the factory burning down. Fire is an unforgiving beast. On Friday night, April 25th,
1908, “ the plant of the Barberton Glass Novelty & Specialty Co.
burned to the ground… the fire broke out at 8 o’clock and burned half an
hour before it was discovered. It [fire] started near the roof and is
supposed to have been caused by defective wiring. Before the [fire]
department reached the building the flames had such headway that nothing
could be saved. It was a frame one-story building, 30 x 60 feet in size…
The company manufactured glass marbles.” Another article states: ” From
twenty to thirty hands were employed…the principal proprietors…hope to
rebuild it.”
Another view of the archaeological site. This site is located in a residential neighborhood. The woman in the photo is Phyllis Taylor - a city of Barberton Historian. Apparently the "principal proprietors" did not rebuild the factory for this was the last mention of the Barberton Glass Novelty & Specialty Company in any local publication. In 1909, the company name was no longer listed in the city directory, and by 1910; the factory site had been divided and built upon. The end of this company gave Mr. Christensen a monopoly over the domestic glass marble market. The story of how this factory was discovered is quite interesting. A local history researcher and librarian named Phyllis Taylor (pictured above) was working on a history book for the city of Barberton. She conducted numerous interviews with the older residents of the town. There was an older man that Phyllis interviewed who remembered something about a glass marble factory that was by his house. He also remembered finding marbles there as a boy after a fire destroyed the company. There was no listing for the company in the Barberton City Directories that the local library owned. Mrs. Taylor passed this lead onto Michael and I in hopes that we could flesh it out. The first hint came when a listing was found for the company in the Thomas' Register. This was in 1909. Weeks later, after hours of reading microfilm, an article was found that talked about the forming of the company. Viola! The trail was getting stronger, the work would go into the field now! Several old maps were consulted and it was narrowed down were the factory might be. To make a long story short, while walking in someone's back yard, a green melted pontil marble was found next to a fence post. In the end, two excavation units would be completed and hundreds of glass artifacts would be found. The property owners two young daughters even helped us screen the dirt. All I can say is what fun..... |
