Marble Factory Parkersburg West Virginia

Working with molten glass is quickly becoming a lost art.

Marble factory parkersburg west virginia.

See it while this old timer is still around to do it. In 1982 gladding vitro was purchased by paris manufacturing company which changed the name back to vitro agate. Established in the late 1940 s marble king marbles are highly recognized and respected worldwide. The other west virginia marble factory is champion agate in pennsboro in ritchie county.

If you re anywhere near northwest west virginia take a side trip to this guy s home and workshop. Drawing donated by mike johnson and suzie metzler. Was the marble capitol and largest marble factory in the world picture courtesy gary traugh after the marbles roll out from between the rollers they slide down a pan. The power of imagination comes alive when you design a marble the vitro agate company parkersburg wv.

This factory was once the vitro agate marble factory in parkersburg west virginia now it sits rotting away next to the train tracks but it. Vitro agate a division of paris manufacturing in maine is the only marble factory not owned by an individual. Exploring an abandoned marble factory in west virginia. The advent of marble making machinery in the early 20th century helped bring the industry to west virginia which already had a robust glass industry.

Parkersburg s vitro agate marble co. The west virginia marble collectors club wvmcc was the inspiration of four wood county west virginia residents. They recognized a need to preserve the history of marbles and to promote the collecting and identification of marbles. It was acquired in 1969 by the gladding corporation which changed the name to gladding vitro agate company.

Hillybilly marble maker sam hogue. By the late 1930s there were several marble manufacturing plants in the state including the akro agate company in clarksburg. He s a real hoot and you ll be fascinated watching him make glass marbles. Vintage scenes of parkersburg west virginia taken from old postcards and photographs.

These enthusiastic marble collectors were ron shepherd paula shepherd gary traugh and the late tim wyer. The vitro agate company began operations in 1932 in parkersburg west virginia.