Rodefer-Gleason Glass Company

Biography

Rodefer-Gleason Glass Company was founded in 1869 or 1870 as National Glass Works in Bellaire, Ohio. In 1877, the company was purchased by Albert, Thornton, and John Rodefer, who operated it under the names National Glass Works and Rodefer Bros., sometimes combining the names into one as National Glass Works (Rodefer Bros. Pros.). By 1898, Thornton Rodefer was the sole owner of the factory and operated it as National Glass Works (T. A. Rodefer Prop.).

Thornton Rodefer's son, Charles Mayger Rodefer, joined the family business in 1902 and took over company leadership after his father's death in 1910. C. M. Rodefer incorporated the business as Rodefer Glass Company. In 1952, Rodefer Glass Company purchased Gleason-Tiebout Glass Company and became the Rodefer-Gleason Glass Company. The Rodefer-Gleason Company remained under Rodefer family management until its dissolution in 1982, when the factory was sold at auction.

Rodefer-Gleason Glass Company and its predecessors manufactured a wide variety of glass objects, primarily for other companies rather than the consumer market. Their products included kitchenware and tableware, skylights, lantern globes, lamp chimneys, headlight covers, and paperweights.

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