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46 Nov-Dec 07 � Feature Story � A Nostalgic Trip Creates Special Memories of Fenton After hearing the announcement of the closing of Fenton, I went back to the Fenton factory for a final visit the last week in August. I flew to Columbus, Ohio, rented a car and drove to Marietta, Ohio, where I stayed for three nights at the Holiday Inn. Williamstown, West Virginia, is right across the Ohio River from Marietta. Williamstown is a small, quaint little town of about 3000 people. Everyone is very friendly. Most people don’t even lock their doors. Everyone in the town either works or knows someone who has worked at Fenton. The general mood of the entire community including southern Ohio was sadness. It was almost as though a black cloud had settled over the town. Everywhere I went, the upcoming closing was the main topic of conversation. I spent the entire next day at the Fenton Gift Shop which shares the same building with the factory. The upstairs is home to the Fenton Museum and offices, the lower level is the glass factory. I visited with several Fenton family members and employees. At that time, 132 people were employed at Fenton. (In 1999, Fenton employed 600 people.) Twenty five people had been laid off two weeks earlier, including Nancy Fenton, director of design, Shelley Fenton, print media specialist, and two of the top designers, Frances Burton and Stacy Williams. Good thing I brought my credit cards, as I purchased many gift shop exclusives. They had been very busy the previous three weeks so many of the shelves were empty. The gift shop employees were busy restocking from the warehouse. Many of the pieces they found were older pieces, samples, gift shop exclusives and seconds. Seconds have a single F sandblasted on the bottom so they are easy to recognize. I don’t usually buy seconds, but I did find a couple pieces to keep. The next day, I left early in the morning heading south towards Charleston, then turned west past Huntington to Milton, West Virginia. I spent several hours at Blenko Glass, another century old glass manufacturer in West Virginia. I went through their museum, watched vases being mouth blown, and shopped at their gift shop. I was thrilled to go through their warehouse and hand pick amberina and ruby vases for my store. I also purchased pumpkins (glass of course) and marbles. The lovely lady that helped me in the gift shop at Blenko used to work for Gibson Glass for thirteen years. Gibson glass closed last year as Mr. Gibson (I can’t recall his first name) had health problems. She told me that another glass blower was working out of the former Gibson plant. I had been there three years earlier and remembered getting lost. She gave me directions so I went there, also, and did not get lost. The countryside is heavily forested and very green in West Virginia. The back roads are delightful. I don’t think I even passed another car. Everyone is so courteous and polite back there on the roads, even the interstate. Drivers actually pass you and pull back over in the right lane . . . and no tailgating. By Joann Chase of Glass Creations I met Mr. Osburn (I can’t remember his first name, either) who is now blowing glass at the old Gibson place. He has a small gift shop, also. He was visiting with Mr. Gibson, whom I had also had met three years ago. He (Mr. Gibson) wanted to know how his old girl was doing over at Blenko. He missed glassblowing, but it sounded like he was a frequent visitor to the now Osburn Modern Glass. Mr. Osburn formerly worked at Blenko and also knew many people from Fenton. We had a nice visit, and, of course, I had to buy some glass from him, also. He made some beautiful opalescent vases and bowls in southwest colors. The two gentlemen told me that Mr. Gibson’s daughter had a store in Milton called “Glass Roots.” She was selling some of the old Gibson glass. Gibson used to buy “cullet” (broken glass) from Fenton and make vases, marbles, bowls, candy, etc. They primarily used the Fenton vaseline and burmese. That saved them from going through all the government regulations that Fenton had to abide by. Vaseline and Burmese glass are both composed of depleted uranium. Three years ago, I had bought vaseline “gumdrops” from Gibson. They looked like real gumdrops, but would glow under a black light. I found the store, but, alas . . . she was closed. Next door was an antique store and the owner told me that Glass Roots was closing permanently. She also told me that a dealer from South Carolina had been there earlier and bought ALL her old Fenton! I found that at many of the antique stores I visited. I drove back to Marietta, Ohio, late that afternoon. I had a very pleasant dinner and a glass of wine at the historic Lafayette Hotel on the Ohio River. The antique stores were already closed in the town so I went back to my hotel. The next day, I went back to Fenton for most of the day. I visited with Scott Fenton, the sales director. He told me they were very busy trying to complete the last orders for all the dealers. September 1st was the cutoff date. He thought the factory would close down sometime in October. I purchased a few more pieces from the gift shop that day. I also visited with Susan Bryan, who was painting gift shop exclusives. After looking through a shelf of sample pieces, I found a beautiful violet over milk glass vase that never made it into the regular line. Susan agreed to paint a one of a kind vase for me. I also ordered a blue burmese vase for her to paint. I just received them in the mail yesterday. They are GORGEOUS! She painted pansies all around the violet vase and a mill scene on the blue burmese. The pansy vase is one of a kind, and the blue burmese is #20 out of 23. That day, I went on a final tour of the factory. There were only three glass shops working. One was making milk glass baskets for the Christmas line. They will be painted with an indigo blue winter scene to match the new indigo blue color made in the spring. Another shop was mouth blowing mulberry Continued on next page...
Nov-Dec 07 A Nostalgic Trip, continued from previous page... vases, which are part of the Fall Connoisseur Collection. Mulberry is one of the most difficult and expensive colors to make. A gold ruby core is covered with azure blue glass. Every piece is uniquely different with a deep cranberry on the top blending into a beautiful blue at the base. I was fascinated watching the skill and ease these very talented glass artists displayed in making these magnificent vases. This beautiful color is exclusive (as are many other colors and treatments) to Fenton . . . and never to be made again. I had a lump in my throat and teary eyes when I walked away. The last shop was Frank Workman making a beautiful offhand (completely by hand) very large vase or possibly a lampshade. Frank Workman was trained by the very talented Dave Fetty. Dave Fetty’s pieces are all a work of art. Dave Continued on page 55... Saddlerock Barn Consignments Buy • Sell • Consign • Antiques • Furniture • Home Décor • Estate Sale Services • Appraisals Bashas Shopping Center 164 J Coffee Pot Drive Hwy 89A & Coffee Pot Dr Sedona, Arizona 928-282-8518 Mon - Sat 10:00 - 6:00 • Sun 12:30 - 5:00 flagstaff’s largest antique Mall aunt Maude’s unique furniture treasures & collectibles Vintage jewelry • Dolls gigantic Christmas sale Open: tues-sat 11-5 2222 E. Cedar Ave • Flagstaff, AZ 928-226-1176 across from the salvation army take 4th st. n. to Cedar & turn left. � Sedona • Flagstaff � (928) 282-7090 & (928) 282-1593 Available for hire Both at one location 3235 w. Hwy. 89A, Sedona AZ 86336 “Where Food & History Meet” The Country Farm Store Antiques • Farm Rustics • Wagons Old West in Historic Downtown Flagstaff • Buy & Consign 17 n. Leroux St. • Flagstaff, AZ 86001 928.774.2271 47
Page 2 and 3: 2 Nov-Dec 07 Arizona’s Barbara Fl
Page 4 and 5: 4 Nov-Dec 07 � Special Events & S
Page 6 and 7: 6 Nov-Dec 07 China restoration serv
Page 8 and 9: 8 Nov-Dec 07 � Mesa � Superstit
Page 10 and 11: 10 Nov-Dec 07 LITTLE BARREL Antique
Page 12 and 13: 12 Nov-Dec 07 � Mesa � TREASURE
Page 14 and 15: 14 Nov-Dec 07 � Chandler • Mesa
Page 16 and 17: 16 Nov-Dec 07 � Scottsdale �
Page 18 and 19: 18 Nov-Dec 07 � Scottsdale � Th
Page 20 and 21: 20 Nov-Dec 07 � Feature Story �
Page 22 and 23: 22 Nov-Dec 07 � Phoenix �
Page 24 and 25: 24 Nov-Dec 07 � Phoenix � More
Page 26 and 27: 26 Nov-Dec 07 � Phoenix � since
Page 28 and 29: 28 Nov-Dec 07 � Phoenix � Antiq
Page 30 and 31: 30 Nov-Dec 07 In business since 196
Page 32 and 33: 32 Nov-Dec 07 � Dealing with the
Page 34 and 35: 34 Nov-Dec 07 � Phoenix �
Page 36 and 37: 36 Nov-Dec 07 � Tucson � New in
Page 38 and 39: 38 Nov-Dec 07 � Oracle • Tombst
Page 40 and 41: 40 Nov-Dec 07 � The Country Regis
Page 42 and 43: 42 Nov-Dec 07 � Prescott � 1. P
Page 44 and 45: 44 Nov-Dec 07 � Cottonwood �
Page 48 and 49: 48 Nov-Dec 07 � Feature Story �
Page 50 and 51: 50 Nov-Dec 07 � Needles, CA • F
Page 52 and 53: 52 Nov-Dec 07 � Payson • Pine
Page 54 and 55: 54 Nov-Dec 07 � Springerville •
Page 56: 56 Nov-Dec 07 � Scottsdale �

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