Marble Makers In West Virginia

There are still a few companies mass producing toy marbles.

Marble makers in west virginia.

Map to recommended offbeat attractions and road trip sights museums monuments tourist traps folk art pet cemeteries. One major marble manufacturing company is marble king located in paden city west virginia which was featured in the television shows made in america some assembly required and the colbert report. Currently the world s largest manufacturer of playing marbles is vacor de mexico. The national marble museum is now part of this museum.

Discover for yourself why we are known for our tradition quality and history with a visit to our interactive museum and expanded gift shop. Working with molten glass is quickly becoming a lost art. Glasfirma formerly vacor de mexico general informational sites. Akro agate was founded in ohio in 1910 and moved to clarksburg in 1914.

Made in america established in the late 1940 s marble king marbles are highly recognized and respected worldwide. If you re anywhere near northwest west virginia take a side trip to this guy s home and workshop. Like other glass producers the company was attracted to west virginia because of the abundance of glass sand and natural gas. The company produced stemware table glass and similar items.

While marble machines were built in the 1990s at mid atlantic it appears that playing marble production occurred mostly in 2001. Mid atlantic went out of business in the mid 2000s. It began producing marbles the following year. The organization welcomes collectors from everywhere and appreciates every type of marble including but not limited to stone clay glass handmade machine made and contemporary along with all related marble memorabilia.

The wvmcc was not intended to be limited to only west virginia marble collectors or west virgina marbles alone. Howdyshell the 63 year old owner of marble king inc says an abundance of glass natural gas and cheap labor attracted the earliest marble makers to west virginia. He s a real hoot and you ll be fascinated watching him make glass marbles. The company makes 90 percent of the world s marbles.

Akro agate was among the nation s most productive marble makers remaining in business until 1951. The founder was oris hanlon who had previously worked at heaton agate company with financial support by dennis farley and john sandy. The museum of american glass in west virginia this museum celebrates wv s rich glass heritage a big part of which is marbles. See it while this old timer is still around to do it.