From the Kennedy era....President's House crystal, made in West Virginia

[Tanuki]

I grew up in West Virginia, where my mother's family has lived since before it was a state. I was just thinking about some crystal goblets my mother bought during the Kennedy White House years, and which I now have. Jacqueline Kennedy honored a West Virginia glass company by choosing one of their patterns, quite simple, for official functions. Like most West Virginia glassmakers, the company has since gone out of business, but here is a little bit about President's House glass:
http://www.replacements.com/thismonth/archive/v1404ae.htm

"In 1961, the Morgantown Glass company (of West Virginia) gained national recognition when first lady Jackie Kennedy chose a simple Morgantown glassware pattern as the official crystal service for the White House. After receiving this recognition, Morgantown marketed this pattern as The President’s House stemware.

The 1960 presidential campaign pitted John F. Kennedy against Hubert Humphrey. While the vote in West Virginia was small, its influence in the Electoral College was significant, and both candidates spent a great deal of time campaigning in the Mountain State. West Virginia's votes in the Electoral College were deemed a significant factor in Kennedy’s eventual victory in the race.

After winning the election, President and Mrs. Kennedy moved into the White House on January 20, 1961. Mrs. Kennedy, as is well known now, had a strong sense of style, and undertook to update the decor of the White House. The crystal used in the White House had long been either European or influenced by European design, but the First Lady championed "buy American." When Mrs. Kennedy saw the crystal in use at their favorite hotel, The Carlton in New York City, she asked about its origins. She learned it was made in Morgantown, West Virginia, and had an inquiry sent to Morgantown Glass about pieces available. Morgantown immediately sent samples of the crystal pattern to Pennsylvania Avenue. The service met Mrs. Kennedy's approval, and an order was placed for fifty dozen of each item: white wine glasses, water goblets, red wine glasses, toasting or champagne glasses, and finger bowls.

The forms of this pattern were originally produced and marketed as "‘Winelovers’ Glassware by Julian Street," but after the First Lady’s order, Morgantown decided to re-christen the pattern as “The President's House.” This newly-named pattern was widely and successfully sold by Morgantown for many years. Within the White House the service was in use in the State Dining Room and was used for many years.

With the unexpected death of President Kennedy shocking the world, the era of Camelot ended. When Mrs. Kennedy moved out of the White House, the Hayden family (then owners of Morgantown Glass), gifted to her a personal service of the crystal she had helped make so famous. In a letter to the Hayden's dated February 12, 1964, Mrs. Kennedy wrote:

"I do wish to thank you for the beautiful Morgantown Glass, "The President's House," which you so graciously gave to me for our new house on N Street. I was happy to see that you had put the label, "The President's House" on the glassware. We were so proud when we first came to The White House to find, made in America, something so beautiful it could not be matched anywhere – and, coming from our beloved West Virginia, which really did make it possible for my husband to be President. It was a joy and a pride to use them in The White House, and it made me happy to think of other people being able to buy the same fine things we used in The President's House. I am sure they will go on being used there forever; I know I shall always use mine. And, whenever I see them, I will think of those brief wonderful days, all the official dinners and brilliant toasts my husband made so well when, as President, he used them in the President's House.“...(more)

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Oh oh....that replacement site is gonna do me in....

Thanks for the link

[niyad]

2. thank you for this lovely piece of history.

[Staph]

3. I grew up in Morgantown,

and my parents bought that glassware in the early 1960s. I was always so impressed that we had the same water- and wine-goblets as Jackie!

[Hokie]

4. I remember the 1960 WV primary

The primary was important to show that as a Catholic Kennedy could win a predominately Protestant state. Poor Hubert didn't know what hit him when the Kennedy political machine moved in to the state. West Virginia's glass industry was pretty amazing too. It's mostly gone now. We used to go to Pilgrim Glass near Huntington. We still have a few pieces from there. It closed in the 90's I believe.

[Tanuki]

5. I have some very nice Pilgrim glass pieces, too. My mother knew a couple

of the glassblowers who worked there, one of whom was an artisan from Murano, Italy who had been brought over to train the local employees and then remained in Huntington for the rest of his life. There were several other art glass companies in the area in those days, including Rainbow and Kemple, as well as the more commercial Owens. The only one in the Huntington area that is still in business is Blenko, which does some lovely work.

http://www.blenko.com/

The Huntington Museum of Art has an excellent permanent display of glass.