Blenko Visitor Center
9 Bill Blenko Rd.
Milton, WV
In June of 2009 I had the opportunity to visit the Blenko Visitor Center in Milton, West Virginia with Cousin Peter and Aunt Joanne.
In preparing for that particular road trip what struck me most about this particular glass factory was that one of the earliest pieces included the stained-glass windows for St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. I have been to that church countless times and spent an inordinate amount of time staring at those windows. I am not 100% sure that the current stained-glass windows in St. Pat's are the ones that were made by Blenko but nonetheless, glass fascinates me and just reading that they had such a big client like St. Pat's made me want to see this company's work up close.
The tour was self-guided and lasted about an hour for us. During the tour we were permitted us to watch the glassblowers at work before viewing an exhibit of pieces produced by Blenko.
Pieces that do not meet the high level of quality expected by the artisans are broken down and the glass is reused. When the glass is broken down it is sorted by color into these stalls outside.
Ultimately, the tour ends in the gift shop where there are tons of pieces you can chose to purchase.
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| Who doesn't need a glass ear of corn? |
Everything was so beautiful. Glass is such an amazing medium to work in. If you have never seen someone blow glass before you should really consider checking out a factory like Blenko.
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