These buildings were put up in the 1880s, with additions in the 1890s; they later became part of the United States Glass Co. More recently the South Side was associated with steel, but in 1872, when the Birminghams, South Pittsburgh, and Ormsby were taken into the city, glass was at least as important. Just looking at the 1872 map, we find—
Knox Kim & Co. Glass Works
Est. of Wm. McCully Glass Works
Pittsburgh Glass Works
Bakewell, Pears & Co. Glass Works
Whitehouse Flint Glass Works
Doyle & Co. Glass Works
Adams & Co. Glass Works
Tremont Glass Works
C. Ihmsen & Sons Glass Works
McKee & Bro. Glass Works
Bryce, Walker & Co. Glass Works
Sl. McKee & Co. Glass Works
A. King Glass Works
We have probably missed a few, but the list is quite enough to show us that glass was a big deal on the South Side. Of all the old glass factories, this is probably the only one left in such a splendidly original state, if any of the others remain at all.
