McKee Glass Company

Mckee Glass Company is well-known in the glass making industry. Having originated in 1853 as McKee and Brothers Glass Works, McKee focused its efforts on quality crystal glassware. Unlike some operations at that juncture, McKee Glass Company could fill volume orders.

The first factory for McKee was set up in Pittsburgh, PA. It later relocated about 27 miles away in Jeannette (a town actually named after Mr. McKee's wife!). Jeannette was part of Westmoreland County PA where coal mines were abundant. Thanks to the coal, and the wisdom of McKee in buying numerous coal cars, his company continued to produce prolifically throughout both World War I and World War II.

It didn't take long for the once unnamed town to grow, attracting people who wanted to work at the plant. By the late 1920s, Jeannette sported a population over 18,000 strong. At the same time, Jeannette also had 8 glass plants, which lead to it being sentimentally nicknamed “Glass City.” But we're getting ahead of the story.

Around the turn of the century McKee began producing two famous patterns – the Aztec and Toltec. The plant now had three furnaces to produce their designs. This lead to the Prescut series with the Wortec pattern. Wortek proved wildly popular, dominating the market in 1907, followed by Fentec in fall of that year.

Over the next year the McKee factory would transfer hands out of family through acquisition by National Glass Company. The name remained, however with a minor change: the McKee-Jeannette Glass Company. The success remained as well. The company was bringing in a quarter-million in capital annually. This wasn't surprising since the company always strove to improve their lines and products, as well as offer consumers diversity.

Shopping for McKee:

McKee Glassware has a variety of markings depending on the ownership at the time including:
* McKee Brothers
* McKee Brothers & Co
* M'Kee
* S. McKee & Co
* McKee Brothers' Works
* McKee-Jeannette Glass Works
* McK (in a circle)

Under these names you can find pattern glass, milk glass, opaque ware, black glass, window glass, automotive lenses, tableware, ad pressed glass.

Some of the sought after items in the McKee Glass Company lines include: Rock Crystal Flower tableware; Opaque blue, green or yellow kitchenware; Laurel patterned novelty pieces (for give-aways); Chalaine blue or custard colored kitchen items; decorated canisters; Delphite jars, rolling pins and cups; Innovation cut glass; Jadite water pitchers, spice jars, Rock Crystal candlesticks & cakestands; and sailboat patterned footed tumblers (particularly in black or green).

McKee Depression Glass Patterns are Rock Crystaland Laurel.

Here are the current listings on eBay:


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