The Glasshouse Gallery

The Glasshouse Gallery explores the history, manufacture, and use of glass in 19th century New England. Thematic cases illustrate the development of style over time, production methods, decoration, and scholarship. Objects on display include tableware, mirrors, spectacles, flasks, archaeological materials, as well as glassmaking tools and implements. The building, built in 1941, is a replica of the original American Optical Company spectacle shop in Southbridge, Massachusetts, where George Washington Wells, father of the founders of Old Sturbridge Village, began manufacturing eyeglasses in the late 1800s.