The Stangers Glass Works Sept 23rd 1779
On September 23rd 1779 Solomon Stanger negotiated with Jacob Gosling of Woolwich Township for a 200 acre tract of land which in the next year would house the first Glass Works in Gloucester County in Southern New Jersey. The land transaction was paid by Stanger to Gosling for 700 British Pounds. This was the founding moment of Glassboro and an important one in the history of Gloucester County as these works at the time were the largest employer in the immediate area.
The Stangers style in the manufacture of glass was the same one they used first at Caspar Wistars United Glass Manufactury works in Alloway Salem county and then slightly later by Christian Stanger who left Wistars works and went to work for Wistars rival Stiegel at Wilhelm Henry Stiegel glass Works in Manheim Pennsylvania. The Stangers would go on to be Americas most influential early glass family starting many more glass works in multiple states over the next 75 years. Below are many examples of glass produced by the Stangers at Glassboro in the early years of the new factory.
The Stangers style in the manufacture of glass was the same one they used first at Caspar Wistars United Glass Manufactury works in Alloway Salem county and then slightly later by Christian Stanger who left Wistars works and went to work for Wistars rival Stiegel at Wilhelm Henry Stiegel glass Works in Manheim Pennsylvania. The Stangers would go on to be Americas most influential early glass family starting many more glass works in multiple states over the next 75 years. Below are many examples of glass produced by the Stangers at Glassboro in the early years of the new factory.
Very early Chestnut type flask in a light green yellowy tinted color indicative of early Southern New Jersey glass. This would be a very common type of quart sized bottle made at the factory. This bottle was found in Glassboro New Jersey not far from the original factory site.
A Gallon and a half sized farmers bottle made in deep olive green amber again found near the Stangers original glass works site . Shards matching this color were also found at the factory site suggesting that the sand readily available in the Glassboro area could produce this rich olive amber color similar to the type usually attributed to New England glass houses.This is an American made bottle with German influence using the sheared lip finish. The bottle is quite large at a gallon and a half capacity. There ia a huge rough pontil mark and the bottle is very thin walled.
The Stengers or Stangers as they were known were the first family of glass blowing in this country and in their homeland of Germany.
The first Stengers were from Germany. The man who started the greatest glass artisans this country has ever known was Arnold Stenger who was born in the year 1610 in Weidenhausen, Deutschland, and died 1692 in Weidenhausen,Deutschland. He married Anna Katherina Mullerwho was born 1615 in Weidenhausen, Deutschland. He married a sceond time to Anna Katherina Schaffer.Arnold and Anna Katharina Muller Stenger were the 4th family to live at Haus Scheffels in Weidenhausen. It was built for Konrad( Hans Kurt means Johan Konrad ) Scheffels about 1545. Their son Matthias (Theis) Scheffel born about 1575 and wife Anna Maria were the second residents. Then their daughter and husband Johannes Muller.The Mullers had a daughter Anna Katrarina about 1615 who married Arnold Stenger and they became the 4th resident family. Great...grandfather Arnold Stenger had a son Johann Georg who married Katharina lang and became the 5th residents of Scheffels Haus. This is where Grandfather Georg Wilhelm was born and raised.
Arnold Stenger, the oldest known patriarch at this time was a child of Wittgenstein. The name Stenger is synonomous with the Glassmakers of Germany, Bavaria and later the American Colonies. Early sitings of the name included an appearance on a hospital bill from Aschaffenburger archives in 1390. A Contz (Conrad) Stenger appears. He was the Mayor at that time.Harold Stenger of Dortmond, a Stenger researcher, says the name could be derived from the Germanic name Stenghari, which means spear carrier or sword-bearer. Not so far fetched when we know that glassmakers(glaziers) in those years traveled through the countryside with sabers at their side as the peddled their wares.
The following is the old fraternal Law of the Glassblowers ( Stengers formed many glassblower guilds) :
1st To remain with each other in unity, and for no one to thwart another.
2nd Glassmaking begins at Easter and stops at Saint-Martin. No glass is made in the winter. (This obviously was not observed here in the colonies!!)
3rd No glass shall be made on Monday.
4th A Master with one worker makes no more than 200 bottles or 400 cups in a day.
5th No one should be taught glassmaking whose father is not a glassmaker.
Fast forward 100 and 50 years to Philadelphia...... Johann Adam Stenger, Sr was the glassblower imported to the Colonies by the Richard Wistar
along with his brother Johann Jacob, and Jacobs wife Catherine Meyer Benderin.J acob and Catherine brought their children Solomon, Daniel,Christian,Adam,Jacob,Francis, Phillip and Sophia on the Ship Betsey commanded by Captain S. Hawks arriving at Philadelphia, Pa October 26, 1768. They took the Oath of Allegiance Nov. 12, 1768 and immediately went to work for Richard as the last of the 4 original glass blowers Caspar Wistar had brought over from Germany had passed away. With their many contacts still in Germany Richard Wistar summoned for the best available glass blowers he could obtain from Germany. Solomon Stanger left the Wistar works and went to work for rival Henry Wilhelm Stiegel. Jacob ran away from the factory and ended up in Baltimore and eventually Virginia.The others stayed until the Wistar works began to dwindle down. the family left in 1779 and headed north towards the pine forests of Central Gloucester County. It was here that Solomon met Jacob Gosling and saw the potential to start their own glass works as the sand and the ample wood supply made the area of Glassboro a good choice to start a new manufactory.
Here begins the Glassboro story one of the greatest glass making towns in the United States.
Arnold Stenger, the oldest known patriarch at this time was a child of Wittgenstein. The name Stenger is synonomous with the Glassmakers of Germany, Bavaria and later the American Colonies. Early sitings of the name included an appearance on a hospital bill from Aschaffenburger archives in 1390. A Contz (Conrad) Stenger appears. He was the Mayor at that time.Harold Stenger of Dortmond, a Stenger researcher, says the name could be derived from the Germanic name Stenghari, which means spear carrier or sword-bearer. Not so far fetched when we know that glassmakers(glaziers) in those years traveled through the countryside with sabers at their side as the peddled their wares.
The following is the old fraternal Law of the Glassblowers ( Stengers formed many glassblower guilds) :
1st To remain with each other in unity, and for no one to thwart another.
2nd Glassmaking begins at Easter and stops at Saint-Martin. No glass is made in the winter. (This obviously was not observed here in the colonies!!)
3rd No glass shall be made on Monday.
4th A Master with one worker makes no more than 200 bottles or 400 cups in a day.
5th No one should be taught glassmaking whose father is not a glassmaker.
Fast forward 100 and 50 years to Philadelphia...... Johann Adam Stenger, Sr was the glassblower imported to the Colonies by the Richard Wistar
along with his brother Johann Jacob, and Jacobs wife Catherine Meyer Benderin.J acob and Catherine brought their children Solomon, Daniel,Christian,Adam,Jacob,Francis, Phillip and Sophia on the Ship Betsey commanded by Captain S. Hawks arriving at Philadelphia, Pa October 26, 1768. They took the Oath of Allegiance Nov. 12, 1768 and immediately went to work for Richard as the last of the 4 original glass blowers Caspar Wistar had brought over from Germany had passed away. With their many contacts still in Germany Richard Wistar summoned for the best available glass blowers he could obtain from Germany. Solomon Stanger left the Wistar works and went to work for rival Henry Wilhelm Stiegel. Jacob ran away from the factory and ended up in Baltimore and eventually Virginia.The others stayed until the Wistar works began to dwindle down. the family left in 1779 and headed north towards the pine forests of Central Gloucester County. It was here that Solomon met Jacob Gosling and saw the potential to start their own glass works as the sand and the ample wood supply made the area of Glassboro a good choice to start a new manufactory.
Here begins the Glassboro story one of the greatest glass making towns in the United States.