Preservation Spotlight: Redeveloping the Brooke County Glass Factory's Cold Metal Building

The history of Wellsburg is written in glass, and one of its authors is the Brooke County Glass Factory. Originally established in 1876, it was one of more than 40 glass factories that operated in Brooke County. The site embodies West Virginia’s industrial heritage and unique connection with the world of glass, yet it is currently vacant and full of potential. Together with other sources of funding, PAWV’s Saving Historic Places Grant will ensure that sites like these will be preserved to both tell the stories of the past and be useful to present and future communities.

For two centuries, West Virginia has been a key figure in glass production. West Virginian soil possesses rich deposits of premier silica sand, a valuable resource needed for glass molding. Combined with the state’s abundance of natural gas, the industry was able to rapidly increase production at a relatively inexpensive cost. And as glass production increased so did advancements in glass making technologies, making production much more streamlined and efficient.

The ability to easily produce glass attracted many outside laymen to West Virginian manufacturing companies. Their understanding of the glass trade was minimal, but these untrained laborers were much cheaper to hire and maintain than skilled artisans, resulting in larger workforces toiling in ever-growing factories. As the industry expanded, companies were able to create boomtowns up and down the Ohio River. One of the towns to prosper in this era of expansion was Wellsburg, located in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle.

The Brooke County Glass Factory, sometimes known locally as the Cold Metal Building, is part of Wellsburg’s long history with glass. Within a few decades of the town’s founding, entrepreneurs established Wellsburg’s first glass factory in 1813. The Brooke County Glass Factory was built in 1876, and was first known as the Riverside Glassworks. It sits alongside the Ohio River, and is a short walk away from Wellsburg’s dynamic downtown. The factory was the first in the area to take advantage of West Virginia’s natural gas and incorporate it into the manufacturing process. The building has survived nearly 150 years in the ever-changing landscape of modern Wellsburg, but today the glass giant sits empty.

And that’s not stopping Wellsburg, a great example of a West Virginian community working to take control of its historic heritage. The city of Wellsburg established a historic district in 1982 that currently contains 693 buildings. The most notable buildings to stand alongside other brick and mortar structures are the Crescent Glass Factory, The Patrick Gass Cottage (Patrick Gass was a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition), Miller’s Tavern, and the Wellsburg Wharf.

Although currently vacant, the Brooke County Glass Factory is under active development. The building and some adjacent lots are now owned by The Business Development Corporation (BDC), who plan to save the factory from demolition. Together with the Wellsburg Urban Redevelopment Authority, the new owners plan to rehabilitate and maintain a dedicated space to tell the story of the Wellsburg glass industry. The project coordinators hope to see the factory transform into a space that embraces the contemporary needs of modern-day Wellsburg. Some ideas suggested for the structure are to repurpose it as a community center, event space, a rest spot on the local rail trail, an artisan space, or even into a heritage tourism facility. Historic sites like this are full of possibilities.

The history of Wellsburg is written in glass, and one of its authors is the Brooke County Glass Factory. Originally established in 1876, it was one of more than 40 glass factories that operated in Brooke County. The site embodies West Virginia’s industrial heritage and unique connection with the world of glass, yet it is currently vacant and full of potential. Together with other sources of funding, PAWV’s Saving Historic Places Grant will ensure that sites like these will be preserved to both tell the stories of the past and be useful to present and future communities.

For two centuries, West Virginia has been a key figure in glass production. West Virginian soil possesses rich deposits of premier silica sand, a valuable resource needed for glass molding. Combined with the state’s abundance of natural gas, the industry was able to rapidly increase production at a relatively inexpensive cost. And as glass production increased so did advancements in glass making technologies, making production much more streamlined and efficient.
​
The ability to easily produce glass attracted many outside laymen to West Virginian manufacturing companies. Their understanding of the glass trade was minimal, but these untrained laborers were much cheaper to hire and maintain than skilled artisans, resulting in larger workforces toiling in ever-growing factories. As the industry expanded, companies were able to create boomtowns up and down the Ohio River. One of the towns to prosper in this era of expansion was Wellsburg, located in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle.

The Brooke County Glass Factory, sometimes known locally as the Cold Metal Building, is part of Wellsburg’s long history with glass. Within a few decades of the town’s founding, entrepreneurs established Wellsburg’s first glass factory in 1813. The Brooke County Glass Factory was built in 1876, and was first known as the Riverside Glassworks. It sits alongside the Ohio River, and is a short walk away from Wellsburg’s dynamic downtown. The factory was the first in the area to take advantage of West Virginia’s natural gas and incorporate it into the manufacturing process. The building has survived nearly 150 years in the ever-changing landscape of modern Wellsburg, but today the glass giant sits empty.

And that’s not stopping Wellsburg, a great example of a West Virginian community working to take control of its historic heritage. The city of Wellsburg established a historic district in 1982 that currently contains 693 buildings. The most notable buildings to stand alongside other brick and mortar structures are the Crescent Glass Factory, The Patrick Gass Cottage (Patrick Gass was a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition), Miller’s Tavern, and the Wellsburg Wharf.

Although currently vacant, the Brooke County Glass Factory is under active development. The building and some adjacent lots are now owned by The Business Development Corporation (BDC), who plan to save the factory from demolition. Together with the Wellsburg Urban Redevelopment Authority, the new owners plan to rehabilitate and maintain a dedicated space to tell the story of the Wellsburg glass industry. The project coordinators hope to see the factory transform into a space that embraces the contemporary needs of modern-day Wellsburg. Some ideas suggested for the structure are to repurpose it as a community center, event space, a rest spot on the local rail trail, an artisan space, or even into a heritage tourism facility. Historic sites like this are full of possibilities.