A History of Amelung House and Glassworks

While the Amelung House and Glassworks is not the first glass factory in the United States (that feat went to Jamestown), this historical site was a centerpiece to American history. Some historians say that glassmaking was not a successful craft until the introduction of various German-founded glass companies in the 1700s, including Amelung House and Glassworks. The Amelung House and Glassworks is located in Frederick County and helped America gain economic independence from Great Britain with domestic imports.

The New Bremen Glass Manufactory

Metropolitan Museum of Art. Covered Goblet.

In 1784, Johann Friedrich Amelung came to Maryland and purchased 2,100 acres of land. On this piece of land, Amelung founded The New Bremen Glass Manufactory. The factory produced glass bottles, windows, and tableware. Amelung’s style of glass was marked with decorative engravings. The New Bremen Glass Manufactory was founded one year after the American Revolution. The New Bremen Glass Manufactory received positive feedback from many influential Americans, including George Washington.

Amelung brought several glassmakers from Germany to America to work at his New Bremen Glass Manufactory. The Manufactory eventually had approximately 500 employees. The New Bremen Glass Manufactory produced glass that at one point was valued at $10,000.

Unfortunately, the New Bremen Glass Manufactory came to an end in 1795. Amelung’s company fell on hard financial times. His requests to Congress for financial assistance we denied. While the New Bremen Glass Manufactory was only in operation for 11 years, Amelung Glass is considered some of the most high-quality historical glass today.

Amelung Glassworks Now

Several pieces of work from the Amelung House and Glassworks are displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Corning Museum of Glass, the Chrysler Museum of Art, and the Winterthur Museum. While there are no remains of the Glassworks factory, the Amelung House still stands today.

The Amelung Glass House is approximately 9 miles south of Frederick, Maryland. Almost all the remaining Amelung Glass House is still original, with the execution of ballroom and card room.

The Amelung House and Glassworks was recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. While there are no above-ground remains of the New Bremen Glass Manufactory, the Amelung House still remains. You can visit the Amelung House and Glassworks at 2531 Park Mills Road, Adamstown, Frederick County.

Kensington Glass Arts, Inc.

Kensington Glass Arts is pleased to be one of the closest contemporary glass company to the Amelung House and Glassworks. Our headquarters in Ijamsville, MD are less than 15 minutes away from the Amelung House and Glassworks. While Kensington Glass Arts, Inc. has no official ties to the Amelung House and Glassworks, we hope to uphold Maryland’s reputation of using glass to create aesthetically pleasing environments centered around glass.

If you’re interested in learning more about Kensington Glass Arts, Inc. visit our About Us page. Kensington Glass Arts is a high-end commercial glass fabricator and installer local to Maryland. We have facilities in Baltimore, Frederick, and Ijamsville. Kensington Glass Arts has completed projects in West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington D.C. in addition to our work in Maryland. You take a look at some of our favorite projects on our Success Stories page.