This is a photograph of a building that was once the Harmony Glasswork Company Store. Harmony Glassworks was the third glass manufacturing plant in Glassboro, NJ. (The factories included: (1) Stanger Glassworks [1779-1781]  (2) Heston-Carpenter Glassworks [1780-1808]; around 1808 the name was changed to Olive Works [1808-1824]; sold to Harmony Glassworks in 1824  (3) Harmony Glassworks 1813-1839  (4) Temperanceville Glassworks 1834-1880  (5) Whitney Glassworks [Owned by Whitney family members; 1834, Thomas purchases 1/3 ownership; 1838-1893. (6) Whitney Glassworks owned by William Jeffers [1893-1918 (New owners, name changed to Owens)  (7) Soloman H. Stanger's Glassworks at the Stanger/Heston/ Olive Works site on Academy Street [1848-1852] (8) Owen's Bottle Works  [1918-1929] (9) Owen-Illinois Glass Corporation [1929] (10) Owen-Illinois Plant reopening [1937]

The Harmony Glassworks and Company story and the factory were located between High Street and what is now College Avenue, and Main Street and Academy Street. This is currently the two-block area that includes Angelo's Diner, the Heritage Glass Museum, and the Fire Department. The approximate map coordinates of the Company Store are: 39.702923, -75.111875.

Harmon Glassworks was formed in 1813 shortly after the death of Edward Carpenter, of Heston-Carpenter Glassworks. Edward was Thomas Carpenter's son. Harmon Glassworks was formed as a partnership between Daniel Focer (Master glassmaker), Levi Campbell (the Heston Plant’s store manager and bookkeeper), Lewis Stanger (Master Glassmaker), and Daniel Rink (Sales, financial affairs, supplies, and transportation). Francis Stanger, one of the original Stanger brothers who founded the town, was a silent partner of the newly formed Glassworks. 

Harmony Glassworks was well managed and very productive, causing fierce competition between the two businesses. In 1824, Olive Works ended its operation, and Harmony Glassworks absorbed the factory. This essentially ended glass production at the site that the Stanger family founded 43 years earlier.

Harmony Glassworks flourished until 1823 when Daniel Rink, who managed the finances, died. The factory languished until 1835 when Thomas Whitney purchased 1/3 of the company. A few years later in 1838, Whitney became the full owner of Harmony Glassworks. Thomas Whitney and his brothers then transformed Glassboro into an important glass manufacturing hub that continued till 1929.

To explore more:

The Glassboro Story: See the chapters: The Beginnings; The First Families; Glassboro on its Way; Entrance Into the Modern Age; Expansion and Township

Whitney Glassworks.


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