Greentown Glass

Rooster and I planned to make the Greentown Glass Museum one of our stops on our explorations through Indiana. Then, COVID-19 brought everything to a screeching halt. Therefore, we gave up all hope of solving the mystery of what was so special about Greentown glass.

On a cloudy winter afternoon, We traveled down the highway that runs through the small Indiana community of Greentown. We were on our way to somewhere else when Rooster noticed a sign suspended above the sidewalk. The sign read, “Collectables, Antiques,  and Greentown Glass.”

Rooster said, “Why don’t we stop here. The place looks interesting,” as he pulled the Chevy Spark to the curve. Skepticism about the treasures we’d find inside hovered in the back of my mind. It turns out I was in for an unsuspected surprise. D&B Antiques and Collectables, located at 107 W. Main Street, is a member of the National Greentown Glass Association.

The Greentown Glass story

The Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company, located in Greentown, Indiana, made glass between 1894 and 1903. They experienced a good nine-year run until a fire destroyed the factory on June 13, 1903. The source of the fire remains a mystery. The most common theory is a can of soda was left too close to other chemicals, causing a chain reaction. Still, a belief exists that the fire could be arson. The short life of the factor makes Greentown Glass the most expensive American cut-glass due to its rarity.

In a typical year, the Greentown glass festival is held the second week in June. Hopefully, the Greentown Glass Museum will be open then. They have over 2,000 pieces of glass and other historical items. Glass manufacturing was an important industry in Indiana during the Industrial Revolution. I wrote about how the Ball family made their fortune manufacturing canning jars in my blog entitled Minnetrista. The abundance of natural gas discovered in Central Indiana provided the needed energy source required to produce glass.

What D & B Antiques & Collectables had to offer

Rooster and I spent an hour examining the items in the antique shop. The store looked small from the street. Once we got inside we discovered it to be much larger than it first appeared.

I found numerous old quilts.

There was cabinet after cabinet filled with Greentown Glass.

Other interesting items appeared in the store.

I discovered the biggest surprise in the backroom. It appears the shop is a part of the National Greentown Glass Association. I never knew such an organization existed before we visited the small antique shop.

In conclusion

Rooster and I enjoyed our short visit to D & B Antiques and Collectables. I learned many things during our visit like I always do in these out of the way Indiana places. Maybe things will be back to some semblance of normal in the spring. I would like to go to the museum and attend the festival. I think it will be a lot of fun.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

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