Morgantown Glass

Morgantown is one of the most treasured American producers of glass. Their pieces have appeared as part of place settings from a petite towns to the President's table. In business for the better part of a century, antique Morgantown glass is renowned for its utmost quality and consistent craftsmanship.

Opened in 1899 in Morgantown, West Virginia by Frank Bannister, the company debuted their first blown glass wares shortly thereafter to almost immediate acclaim. The early years of the 20th century saw Morgantown expand exponentially, both in national sales presence and also in designs. Banking on the success of their early Continental glassware line in the '20s, Morgantown was able to survive the economic turmoil of the Great Depression to emerge as a leading producer of fine glass for commercial purposes.

As they created designs for large hotels and passenger ships, Morgantown continued to cater to the individual consumer with brilliant tableware and even some art glass pieces. Morgantown's success was sustained until the latter half of the 20th century when their popularity began to wane. Still, among glass connoisseurs today, Morgantown continues to be celebrated.

Quick Facts

• For a brief period in its early years, Morgantown changed its name: from 1903 to 1923, it was known as the Economy Tumbler Company, and then from 1923 to 1929, it was the Economy Glass Company
• First Lady Jackie Kennedy selected a Morgantown lead crystal pattern as the official White House service. From that point onward, the pattern was known as President's House
• Morgantown was subsumed by Fostoria in 1965 and continued to produce glass until the early '70s