Tuesday, May 03, 2005

— Time: 7:53:39 AM EST

Manchin to mark Fenton centennial

By JOLENE CRAIG

WILLIAMSTOWN - Gov. Joe Manchin will celebrate the Fenton Art Glass centennial celebration Wednesday at the factory.

"Gov. Manchin is scheduled to be at Fenton Art Glass a little before 3:30 p.m. to give a presentation and spend some time in the factory," said Jim Measell, associate historian at Fenton Art Glass.

Manchin will be joined by Williamstown Mayor Jean Ford and Fenton family members during the ceremony where he will issue a proclamation before he and his wife, Gayle, have glass-making and decorating experiences, Measell said.

"In today's day and age, centennial celebrations are few and far between," Manchin said. "Fenton Art Glass products and the company's influence in the glass-making industry spans the world. I look forward to learning this craft, which has been passed down for centuries."

Ford said Manchin's visit shows that he is very proud a family-operated business can last for 100 years in a small community like Williamstown.

"For Gov. Manchin to come participate and help the Fenton family and the community to celebrate this event shows that he is humbled by the longevity of the company," Ford said.

Measell said Fenton Art Glass is one of the few factories that continues to create glass the same way ancient Romans did.

"Fenton's did not invent this method of glassmaking, but we continue it in the same manner it was first done when we opened a century ago and we will continue to do so," he said.

The proclamation ceremony will take place on May 4 because that is the day members of the Fenton Family and employees consider the birthday of the factory.

"We (at Fenton) call May 4 the birthday because that is the day Frank L. Fenton and his brother John deposited $284.86 into a bank account in Wheeling to start the company," Measell said. "It is really the day the brothers put their commitment into the future of the company."

Fenton began as a glass decorating company before the Fenton brothers discovered the cost and other benefits of producing glass for themselves.

In 1907, the company moved into a factory in Williamstown, and the rest is history, Measell said.

Today, Fenton Art Glass remains a family business, including management by members of the fourth generation, and 500 employees.

Gov. Manchin's visit "is a testament to the management of the factory by the Fenton family," Measell said. "I think it will be great for Fenton employees and the community to have the state's chief executive officer visit and see what we do."