ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SANDWICH GLASS WORKS
In 1825 a flint glass manufactory was established at Sandwich, Massachusetts. Building was started in April, and July 4th, 1825 they commenced blowing. It was purchased in 1826 by a new company calling itself The Boston and Sandwich Glass Company. The beginning was an 8 pot furnace—each pot holding 800 pounds and a yearly product of $75,000. There were at first 60 employees but by 1853 the capital was $400,000 with weekly melts of 100,000 pounds—500 employees—four furnaces of 10 pots producing yearly $600,000 worth of cup plates, lamps, dishes, salt cellars, etcetra.
Deming Jarves, one of the incorporators of the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, writes in 1854 as follows:
“In 1825 a Flint Glass Manufactory was established by individual enterprise in Sandwich, Massachusetts. Ground was broke in April, dwellings for the workmen built and the manufactory completed; and on July 4, 1825 they commenced blowing glass, three months after first breaking ground.”
In the early days of the factory the life of a glass blower was short due to the overheated glass houses but for twenty years prior to 1854 no employee of the Boston and Sandwich Company died or was seriously ill from his employment. The invention of the mold machine saved many lives. The pressing mold for glass was invented in 1827 by a workman named Robinson at the New England Glass Company but was later adopted and perfected by the Sandwich works.
PRESSED GLASS
Pressed glass was many times reheated to a point sufficient to melt a thin surface layer—This was called “fire polishing.” It removed any roughness due to the process of molding and left a smooth bright surface.
Flint glass—The name of flint glass was derived from the fact that in England flints were calcined and pulverized to make silica which is the main constituent of glass. The use of flint made the glass highly refractive and brilliant and oxide of lead which was also added increased it.