Glass, Floods, and "Gov'ment Work": Exploring Industrial Heritage in Blairsville, Southwestern Pennsylvania

Summary

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, western Pennsylvania was a leading center in American plate glass manufacture.  One of the region’s smaller plants was run by the Columbia Plate Glass Company, which operated in Blairsville from 1903 to 1935.  During this time, the glass factory provided a major boost to the local economy and supported a community of workers’ housing.  Shortly after the factory’s abandonment, the United States Army Corps of Engineers purchased the site as part of a regional flood control program, and the land has been protected from further development.  The site offers an opportunity for research that integrates both the technological and social aspects of industry.  More specifically, the factory’s importance is linked with technological change, trends in labor movements, and our understanding of the modern post-industrial landscape.  This poster focuses on the site’s history, current research goals and methodology, and preliminary findings.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Poster Submission 2016   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 389