It’s no secret I’m passionate about all things West Virginia glassware. Those who have read my previous blogs will know all about my collection and trips throughout the state to learn more about our rich history of glass manufacturing. For those new here, welcome! Let’s dig in to the latest installment of my blog series.

Projected to open next year, thanks to dedicated fans and collectors like the Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America (FAGCA) organization, the Museum of Fenton Art Glass will memorialize a major handmade art glass producer in the U.S. world-renowned for its hand-painted decorations on pressed and blown glassware: the Fenton Art Glass Company, which operated from 1905 to 2011. 

As soon as I heard about plans for a Fenton museum thanks to a Fenton Facebook group I’m part of, I knew I had to connect with those responsible and interview them to learn more. Cue Dave Kingsley, president of FAGCA. We had an enlightening conversation, and I’m honored and excited to share plans for the groundbreaking museum. I hope to be one of the first in line when it opens! 

“Fenton is the only major American glass company that doesn’t have a museum dedicated to their works right now, and that’s been a disappointment to Fenton collectors nationwide since 2011,” Kingsley says.

For years, FAGCA members have been building a seed collection of glass that will eventually make its way into the Museum of Fenton Art Glass, and they are currently receiving offers of donations of glass from collectors. They have received formative help from other organizations, such as the Museum of American Glass in West Virginia, the National Museum of Cambridge Glass, the Tiffin Glass Museum and the National Imperial Glass Museum. 

Located in Williamstown, the Museum of Fenton Art Glass would also work locally with schools and other entities to raise awareness of Fenton for the younger generation, Kingsley says. 

“Younger people coming up probably don’t know much about Fenton outside of what they know if they live in the Williamstown-Marietta area,” Kingsley says. “Once we get open, we are going to need volunteer docents and staff for the museum, and we will lean heavily on the community for those folks; those need to be sourced locally.”

The 2,500-square-foot site of the museum, the old Riverside Church of Christ, is also in sight of the old Fenton plant property that was demolished in December 2011 and sold in 2017 to Wood County Schools. 

The original Fenton Glass Museum was housed at the factory, ceasing operations at the same time the factory closed, and inventory was auctioned off. “It should be a little bit bigger from what people remember than the original Fenton Museum at the factory site,” Kingsley says.  

One of FAGCA’s goals is to continue to showcase and honor the history, artistry and legacy of the legendary West Virginia glass manufacturer. 

“Once we have legal possession of the building and we’re legally incorporated, then we will start actively seeking additional donations of glass,” Kingsley says. “Donations are the lifeblood of any museum so that’s going to be our primary focus, but we’re also going to have space to fill so we will be seeking loans of museum-worthy glass at the beginning. As we build out our permanent collection we will be depending less on loans and just housing our own permanent collection.”

Visitors historically flocked to tour the Fenton factory while it was still open, and the gift shop, which I’ve also written about, is still a destination for collectors, so I agree with Kingsley when he says he’s sure a Fenton museum will once again bolster the economy of the greater Williamstown area. 

“We’re very excited to be working on this project, and we are really looking forward to being able to open up a first-rate museum when the time rolls around next year,” he says. 

“We’re looking to add to the economy of the Williamstown-Marietta area. People that come in might be spending the night in a hotel; they definitely will be eating in restaurants around there, so we think it’ll be good for the local economy, too.”

Fenton is well-known today for being the first to produce carnival glass and hobnail glass in the early 20th century, as well as for its iconic lamps, slippers, animals, compotes and more made in a variety of colors and original patterns that are recognizable and highly collectable today.

One of the most prolific glass manufacturers of the Ohio River Valley and West Virginia in general—lasting longer than many smaller glass companies in the region—the Fenton Art Glass Company was established in 1905 by the Fenton family in Martins Ferry, Ohio. The company started by painting glass made by other manufacturers before relocating and opening their own factory in Williamstown in 1906 and producing their own pieces beginning in 1907. 

“The American glass manufacturers were probably, for the consumer, the most prolific producers in the world, and Fenton was the largest among them,” Kingsley says. “They just have a rich history in the glass that they produced. In the minds of many people, it’s the finest artistic type of glass that was produced in the United States, so we want to promote and keep that legacy alive in the minds of people.”

Keep up with the museum’s progress on social media!