MT. SAVAGE, MARYLAND

The Cumberland Glass Company, Inc. was started in 1932. It was located in a warehouse of the James Clark Distilling Co. on National Highway in LaVale. They made hand blown hollow ware, drinking vessels, and stemware and barware of clear lime glass. The company struggled until 1934, when Prohibition was repealed.

In 1950, George W. Hickle became plant manager George was the plant manager of the Cumberland Glass Works from 1950 to 1961 when it closed. They made stemware with the straight stem, drop stem and ball stem. The factory made clear soda lime glass in plain and optic. They used a method of second annealing to produce tougher glassware.

They shipped barware to California, Chicago, New York, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, with a large part of the sales going to California. The Cumberland Glass Co. sometimes made clear glass items for West Virginia Glass in Weston, WV, because they had more orders than they could handle.

In September 1956, fire burned the factory to the ground. George was able to retrieve the form molds after the fire. They were made of heavy steel and were not damaged in the fire. The company purchased buildings in Mt. Savage from the Cumberland and Pennsylvania RR Company and started production in 1957. The products were the same as when they were in LaVale. They made the hour glass style whiskey chasers for the Sloan Glass Co. and they also made a similar glass called the Scotch and Soda. This was also an hour glass style with the lower bowl being 3-4 times larger than the top whiskey or scotch bowl. In the whiskey chaser, both bowls are the same size.

The reason for the plant closing in July 1961, was the lack of qualified glass workers. There had never been a lack of orders and the bills were paid, so it was a good time to cease production. At the end in 1961, buyers from Baltimore bought the remaining glass. The company gave the glass working tools to the Allegany County Historical Society.

Examples of this Glass can be seen at the Bank Museum on Main Street , Mt. Savage, Md.

Return to Index