I like glass. Ever since I was a little girl and I saw my first glass blowing demonstration at Williamsburg, I’ve been hooked. Anyone who visits our inn knows I enjoy decorating around the light of the windows with beautiful colored crackle glass. I loved the trip with my parents to visit Corning. I will watch any glass demonstration at a craft fair. I think it is fascinating that the area where I live has a rich glass history, and there are still many original panes of glass in our windows, 197 years old, and most likely created at the Bethany Glass Works. I visit the Dorflinger Glass Museum at least once a year, simply in awe of those beautiful masterpieces of brilliant cut glass. I was very excited to finally purchase my first piece of Dorflinger glass.
A few years ago we found a hidden gem to our area, Gillinder Glass. This is a glass factory in the town of Port Jervis. They are celebrating their 155th year in business in 2016, and have been in Port Jervis since 1912. They are a family owned business and under the sixth generation of Gillinder leadership. The company produces commercial and industrial pressed glass. Gillinder produces over 50% of the airport runway light lenses in the US! Actually, I think we take most of our commercial glass for granted, it being basically invisible in our lives. This factory brings it to the front of your thoughts as you take a tour of the actual working factory. As you walk through the old brick building you see real bits and pieces of history in kilns, and glass pieces, as well as molds for forming the glass, pictures of the factory history, and piles of stock, etc. For anyone interested in the history of life, it was all fascinating. 
What makes the tour even more remarkable is that the way all of this glass is made, the old-fashioned way as it was 104 years past one piece at a time. There are crews of workers heating lumps of glass on rods in open kilns, that glass being poured into molds, inspections, and finally carrying the glass to the annealing oven. The tours at the factory take you right to the stations where all this happens. Fascinating!
The tours take place on weekdays, while the factory is in operation. Several times a year they also have special glass blowing demonstrations by featured glass artists. Some of this work and other glass pieces are available in the gift shop. Of course, I could find a souvenir to take along home. This is a worthwhile excursion in the Northern Pocono. Visit www.gillinderglassstore.com for more information. 