Dorflinger Glass Museum
Come Visit
The museum is home to one of the nation’s largest collection of American brilliant-cut Dorflinger glass, all displayed in the home of the founder. Come see more than 1,000 pieces of cut, engraved, etched, gilded, and enameled Dorflinger crystal and glass.
Suggested Donation when visiting:
Adults: $5.00
Members & Seniors (55+): $4.00
Ages 6 to 18: $2.00
Dorflinger Glass Museum History
The Beginning
Beginning in the 1860s, Christian Dorflinger transformed White Mills from a sleepy hamlet on the banks of the Lackawaxen River into a bustling industrial center. For more than half a century the Dorflinger Glass Works produced exquisite cut lead crystal that graced many of America’s finest tables, including those of several White House administrations.
The Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary acquired its first piece of Dorflinger glass in September 1981 as a gift from Agnes Houth Baisden. Mrs. Baisden gave a Marlboro pattern decanter in memory of her father, Fred Houth, who had worked in the Dorflinger factory. The numerous glass acquisitions that followed were held in a vault at an area bank because there was no museum to display them.
The Forming of the Museum
In 1986, the Sanctuary’s trustees launched a campaign to construct a museum on the Sanctuary grounds. Led by William Adams and Daniel O’Neill they raised $150,000. By the autumn of 1987, the community’s generous support surpassed the goal, and glass expert Helen N. Barger donated more than 300 pieces of Dorflinger glass to the budding museum.
The winter of 1987 saw the appointment of the renowned Dorflinger expert Ray LaTournous as the curator of the museum. LaTournous oversaw the development of the glass collection and the training of volunteers. The building was completed in 1988, and the glass museum opened to the public on May 20, 1989.
In 1991, acting curator Mark Eggenberger displayed glass from Dorflinger family members June Hardy and Jane Beers. Henry J. Loftus, Jr., took over the curatorship in 1992, a position he continues to hold today. With over 1,000 pieces, the Dorflinger Glass Museum has one of the largest collections of Dorflinger glass in the country.
Volunteers donate their time to staff both the museum and the museum gift shop. Admissions and gift shop sales provide the primary funds for the operation of the museum. The museum acquires additional funding for educational programming, research, and collection development and care through donations, grants, and the support of the Sanctuary.
