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History of Westmoreland Glass

Westmoreland Glass Company is famous for the milk glass technique. The company grew from the Westmoreland Speciality Company, founded in East Liverpool, Ohio in the 1880s, and was a family-run business between the West and the Brainard families throughout its production years.

Factory Relocation
- Westmoreland Speciality Company relocated to Grapeville, Pennsylvania in 1889 and began production of quality glass in pot furnaces at the new site in 1890. The first products were glass condiments and candy jars sold on news stands.
Glass Production
- Westmoreland Specialty Company changed its name to Westmoreland Glass Company in 1924. Decorated glass items and colored crystal ware in brown, pink, amber, green and blue were produced by the factory in the 1920s. The company remained operational throughout the Depression.
Family Business
- James J. Brainard ran the company between 1937 and 1953. His son, James H. Brainard, took over Westmoreland Glass when James senior died in 1953.
Westmoreland Milk Glass
- Ninety percent of items produced at the factory during its final 30 years of activity were milk glass, the product that is synonymous with Westmoreland today.
The Final Years
- Dave Grossman bought the company in 1981 in a bid to save it from financial trouble, but on May 21, 1984 the Westmoreland Glass Company was officially closed.

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