Imperial Glass Company

building at the first floor level on steel supports. One small brick ancillary A small coal gasification building to the west was removed some time ago. The brick pattern facade with an arcade of flat arched double hung sash windows with stone arched windows occur between the flat brick pilasters. An interesting detail is a although only small portions of this roofing material now remain. Floors are steel space was used for storage.The manufacturing activities OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior made of a special cast iron alloy have designs worked into the moulds with hammer and chisel and polished with small, handmade files. The basement storage rooms contain a equipment existing in 1904.

The processes include: 1) Mixing Room where raw materials and cullet are kept in wagons, after magnet to remove traces of iron. a) day tanks (one ton capacity) drop the glass into a mould, where it is pressed into the proper tempered. received Page (3-82) Continuation sheet National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form National Park Service Each of the phases of glass-making are carried out with equipment locations as indicated Gatherers are used to remove the glass from the melting units and the finishing room. c) pot furnace with covered crucibles which protect the molten NPS Form 10-900-a Grinding and polishing is necessary on some items and this occurs in it is fire polished and/or changed in shape. date entered large inventory of these moulds.

glass to make colored glass) from the furnace flame.

(in one paragraph) Bellaire and the Ohio Valley.It is both historically and architecturally significant. development of Bellaire. The Imperial Glass Company was the largest glass factory under companies still operating in the Bellaire area until 1982 when Rodefer Gleason ceased production, leaving Imperial Glass as the only one still in use. The factory has undergone few alterations in the last 80 years, being in continuous use as a glass factory, and therefore provides a good, intact example of turn-of-the-century industrial architecture. The City of Bellaire was settled in 1802, and platted in 1834. The first flint glass works, the Belmont Glass Company, was founded in 1866. The number of glass companies grew steadily through the end of the nineteenth century.

Five glass factories located in Bellaire were listed in the Wheeling Directory in 1874; this number increased to eight in 1880 and grewi again to 14 in 1890. Bellaire became known as "Glass City". advantages as a commercial center; transportation by both railroad and the river were Imperial Glass was organized in 1901 by a local group of Wheeling and Bellaire investors who were provided, by the City of Bellaire, with land and a financial incentive to locate in Bellaire. Imperial constructed its plant site in Bellaire in 1903 and became the Imperial's early markets were "mass" market items, such as jelly glasses, tumblers, depression and the loss of markets to machine-made glass.

A court appointed receiver operated the plant, raised new capital (including in excess of $55,000 from its employees, in a "voluntary subscription") and obtained some large orders. From 1933 to 1937, on was later fully redeemed by the company. Carl Guskey was appointed President in 1940 and continued in that capacity until his death two continuous tanks and two pot furnaces. Works in 1960.