Glass from the past Millersburg Glass auction to headline Antique Festival

  • By Dave Mast of The Holmes Country Journal
  • October 7, 2009
  • 816
                        
Saturday, Oct. 10, people can turn back the clock to a century ago, when John Fenton rolled into Millersburg with a lifetime of dreams and plenty of gigantic expectations for his new glass company. He talked a great game. He was a true salesman in every sense of the word, and his elegant pitch brought early Holmes County residents scrambling to back his new endeavor. The people of Holmes County backed him with great anticipation. Oct. 10 will feature a massive auction featuring everything Millersburg Glass. The auction will be run in conjunction with the 47th annual Holmes County Antique Festival, and beginning at 10:30 a.m. on the Holmes County Courthouse lawn in Millersburg, the ingenuity of a true craftsman will spring to life, as hundreds of bidders will be on hand to vie for the right to purchase and own some of the most tantalizing carnival glass in existence, including a rare people’s vase. “With this being the 100th year anniversary of Millersburg Glass, we felt it was a great way to promote the festival and bring something as popular as Millersburg Glass to the forefront,” said Georgie Cool, antique festival chairperson. “This is where it all began, and it seems appropriate that we celebrate the beginning of something so special right here in our hometown on the 100-year anniversary.” Fenton dreamed of creating carnival glass that was second to none, unique in its look and appeal and not rivaled by any other glassmakers in the new world. But while his products — including a new style of glass called radium glass, which sparkled and captured light like no other — were indeed glorious, his ambitions were too lofty, and the finances did not go far in creating enough buzz about his products. Unique vases, classic bowls and oodles of one-of-a-kind pieces in which the molds were destroyed as fast as they were created saw Fenton run out of money and run out of town in a scant three-year period, from 1910 to 1912. Millersburg Glass became synonymous with failure. The glass pieces became targets for anyone wanting to perfect their aim with a .22-caliber rifle or a BB gun. Fenton’s dreams had become a laughingstock. It only took three-quarters of a century for the public to realize how truly wrong they were about Fenton’s inspirational, almost futuristic carnival glass. Millersburg Glass was started in 1908 by John Fenton, after he left his brother’s company, Fenton Art Glass, in Williamstown, W.Va. The company, located just off Wooster Road, started producing crystal glass in May 1909, and later produced iridescent glass, known as radium glass. Production ceased just two short years later in May 1911. Financial difficulties forced the company to reorganize into the Radium Glass Company, but unfortunately, shut its doors for good in the spring of 1912. “Radium glass became the glass of choice because of the ability to produce that glass in Millersburg,” said Chris Sieverdes, director of the Millersburg Glass Museum. “It was produced in Millersburg because of our unique water supply and the artistry of the staff at the Millersburg Glass Company. Any time you talk carnival glass, the foremost name in the industry is Millersburg Glass. John Fenton was so innovative, and he destroyed all of his molds, and was here for such a short time; all of those factors mean that while he was run out of town in shame a century ago, his products are now the most sought-after pieces in the world.” Jim Wroda, of Jim Wroda Auction of Greenville, who will be promoting the auction, said that collectors are drawn to Millersburg Glass in ways that no other collectible carnival glass can emulate. “Millersburg Glass has gained notoriety around the U.S. because there is rarely a poor piece of pottery,” said Wroda. “John Fenton really experimented with color, iridescence and shape, and are so far off the norm for many of their pieces. They were way ahead of their time.” Local Millersburg Glass expert Steve Maag said that while there are many stories about Millersburg Glass, and how the factory used to give away pieces to local businesses, it’s very hard to actually verify many of those stories. Maag said that Millersburg Glass has become the Cadillac of carnival glass for collectors, because of its rarity, age, and because Fenton was so innovative with his moldings. In addition, Fenton seemingly perfected the art of making iridescent glassware. “One of the main reasons Millersburg Glass Company went bankrupt was because they had so many different molds for just one pattern,” added Maag. “That’s why you see so many rare pieces.” Cool said that when they had the glass auction two years ago, most of the product came from one donor. This time around, they had nothing like that to support the bulk of the glass, so they have had to rely on many individual donors. “Jim Wroda was afraid we wouldn’t be able to have the quality or the quantity that we put together from that one collection two years ago,” said Cool. “I’ve talked with him recently, and he is absolutely thrilled with the outcome. He said we’ve got a huge selection of some high-end pieces of glass which rival what we sold before.” Included in that list is an amethyst people’s vase, one of the most highly sought-after carnival glass pieces available in the market. “Jim doesn’t do anything but the very best, and he knows his glass,” said Cool, of the auctioneer. “We’re very excited about the opportunity to not just bring people in to the festival, but to showcase a part of our local history which has grown to be the best of its kind anywhere.” While the massive glass auction may be the big draw at this year’s Holmes County Antique Festival, just down the street from the courthouse lawn tent, which will house more than 200 beautiful Millersburg Glass pieces, is the Millersburg Glass Museum. As part of the festivities, the museum will be sporting a professional appraiser who is well versed in carnival glass, and the tiny details that make the difference between a piece that is total perfection and one which is marred by the littlest imperfections which cause the value to drop. According to Chris Sieverdes, director of the Millersburg Glass Museum, the average person and even many collectors aren’t exactly sure what they have in their Millersburg Glass pieces, because few know what kind of imperfections can be hidden in a piece. “It’s very difficult for the average person to evaluate what they really have when it comes to Millersburg Glass,” said Sieverdes. “We can eyeball a piece, but we really aren’t aware of the tiny imperfections that can be hidden inside the glass. We are bringing in an impartial appraiser from outside of this area who will be able to help people identify what they have, how much it’s worth and even if it truly is Millersburg Glass or one of the other brand names in the industry. It should be a very informative time.” Sieverdes said that the appraiser will be able to define the condition of a piece, point out what makes each one unique and assign a dollar value to items brought in. The cost to visit the museum is $3, and there will be a small fee for people who wish to have an item appraised.


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