The "Baron Henrich Wilhelm Stiegel: His Stories - Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in the Lititz Family Cupboard Restaurant having breakfast with a couple dozen former teachers from Manheim Township High School where I taught for over 30 years.  Across the table from me is Ed who taught Physical Education at the high school.  He asked if I ever went to see the third floor of the Brother's House in the Moravian Circle in Lititz.  

The Stiegel glass that my friend Ed owns.

He had made arrangements for me to do so, but his contact had never called me.  He was upset that no one called, but the topic changed quickly when I told him I was trying to find a piece of Steigel glassware that was made in Manheim, Pennsylvania.  "What are you doing after breakfast?" Ed asked.  "Not much today," I responded.  "Follow me home and I'll show you a Stiegel glass that I just bought at auction." he said.  Wasn't long before we were sitting on his rear porch looking at a rather unusual, but beautiful piece of glass.  The sticker on the bottom said it was a piece of Stiegel Flip Glass with a 6" bell.  

Bottom of glass showing info about it.  Click on
image to enlarge.  Notice the clear spot on the
bottom where it had been released from the mold.

It originally was marked $140.00 but the seller had paid $110.00 for it at the 1971 York Antique Show.  It looked as if a Mr. Williams was the buyer, and now the seller of this remarkable piece of glass made in nearby Manheim, PA.  At first I thought it was plastic due to its lightness in weight, but after striking it gently with my fingernail and hearing the "ting" of it, I knew it was glass.  Tough to tell how it had been made.  Was it formed in a mold or perhaps some other way to give it the shape.  On the bottom I could see where it looked as if it had been broken away from another piece of glass and then ground smooth.   It had the true unevenness of texture with wavy lines through it.  

Drawing of the glassworks in Manheim.

The decorative patterns around the top were evidently etched into the glass after it had been formed or cast.  A remarkable piece of glassware from the glassworks of a master.  It was in 1763 that Baron Stiegel began his new adventure of glassmaking.  His Elizabeth Furnace to the northeast of Manheim, PA could be used for fusing the glass.  He began his glassworks with ten craftsmen who made bottles and window glass.  Not long after he began production he decided to build a new town on his Rapho Township tract of land he had acquired.  

This is the location where the original glassworks stood.

He named his new town Manheim after nearby Manheim Township, but most already settled in the area referred to the new town as Stiegel Stadtel.  He first built a mansion for his family and then built his glassworks factory in 1765.  He was the first glassworks in the New World and began to fill orders throughout the colonies.  His glass had all the qualities of skilled craftsmen from Germany, Ireland, England and Venice.  He began to make decanters, bottles, cruets, vials, toys, mugs as well as his glasses of different sizes and shapes.  Wasn't long before he introduced pastel colors such as green, amethyst, amber and "Stiegel" blue.  The future looked bright for Baron Henry William Stiegel.  But then it took a turn for the worse.  Follow along tomorrow to see what happened to the Baron who was responsible for the town of Manheim.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Pennsylvania historical marker showing the location where the Baron Stiegel had his glassworks.