Franklin Art Glass Studios Inc 222 East Sycamore Street Columbus Ohio

Franklin at its current location, 222 E. Sycamore St.

Franklin Art Glass Studios, Inc. is a stained drinking glass studio, stained drinking glass supply wholesaler and retailer located in Columbus, Ohio. The stained glass studio specializes in the pattern, fabrication, and restoration of stained leaded glass likewise as faceted glass. The wholesale and retail departments meanwhile sell glass from nearly every domestic and foreign manufacturer and all the tools necessary to the trade. All facets of the business are located in Franklin's 35,000-square-foot (iii,300 mⁱⁱ) facility located in the German Village commune of Columbus.^[1]

History [edit]

James Helf in the Oak Street studio

Within the Sycamore Street studio in the early 1970s

Franklin Art Glass Studios, Inc. was founded in 1924 with three principals, Wilhelm Kielblock, Wilhelm Kielmeier, and Henry 'Elmore' Helf. Originally located at 135 Eastward Bound St. company's cosmos was during the low and as the depression deepened and commissions for stained glass connected to refuse, Wilhelm Kielmeier pulled out of the company. This left Wilhelm Kielblock, a noted German language stained glass designer and painter,^[2] and Elmore Helf, a business organization man, to reorganize the visitor. Elmore Helf was non the start member of the Helf family to run a stained drinking glass studio, his father, Henry Helf, was store foreman for Von Gerichten Art Glass Visitor in Columbus, Ohio.^[3] Henry worked there until the visitor's closing in 1931 and passed his beloved and the trade of stained glass onto Elmore. To keep Franklin Fine art Glass alive during those difficult times the decision was made that Kielblock would relinquish his ownership of Franklin Art Glass, which was actually his portion of the debt, to Helf. Kielblock would so operate as an contained contractor under the name, Ohio Trade Studios, all the while operating in the aforementioned edifice every bit Franklin Art Drinking glass. Through this organisation Helf would sell the Munich – style commissions designed and painted by Kielblock'south Ohio Trade Studio. This organization connected until Wilhelm Kielblock's death in 1987. After successfully riding out the depression Franklin Art Glass became a financially stable stained glass studio working on residential and liturgical commissions. In 1945 Elmore's son, James Helf assumed control of the company after returning home from serving in WWII.^[four] Business concern was as usual until Franklin Art Drinking glass was approached by Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers, who were building their first hamburger stand up only a few blocks from Franklin's so Oak Street location. Wendy's interior decorator wanted to employ stained glass lamps in the restaurants, and with the aid of Franklin Fine art Glass, they designed a series of hanging lamps which would eventually become synonymous with Wendy's restaurants. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Franklin produced over 45,000 lampshades for Wendy's and even expanded its employees to 40 to keep up with the demand.^[5]

Elmore Helf died on September sixteen, 1968, in Columbus, Ohio, at the historic period of 76. According to an obituary published in 'Stained Drinking glass Quarterly' he was remembered as "i of the oldest active members of the Stained Glass Clan of America, his business firm the Franklin Art Drinking glass Studios having been members for over forty years."^[vi]

During this time of visitor growth it was necessary to have more room to accommodate the new business then Franklin was moved from its second location on 214 Oak Street to its new and current location at 222 East Sycamore Street. The new facility located in Columbus'due south celebrated German Village is a 23,000-square-foot (2,100 mⁱⁱ) plant with a 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m²) warehouse.^[7]

In 1971 later graduating with a degree in Business Administration from Eastern Kentucky University, Gary Helf began working at Franklin Art Drinking glass. Up until this point the business had been only stained drinking glass commissions, but with the increasing popularity of hobbies in the tardily 1960s Franklin Fine art Glass decided to capitalize on the trend and began to offer stained glass classes. This eventually led to the retail and wholesale business through which customers tin buy supplies.^[8]

Franklin Art Glass remains a multifaceted business by doing stained drinking glass commissions for such notable businesses every bit Victoria's Secret, Wendy'due south Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Max & Erma's, and White Castle all the while running a supply business.

In 2003 the fourth generation of the Helf family unit joined Franklin Art Glass's legacy. Andrea (Helf) Reid started after graduating from Wittenberg University in 2003 with a BA.^[nine]

References [edit]

1. ^ Hoover, Richard (Fall 1995), "Behind the Scenes at Franklin Art Glass", Stained Glass Quarterly of the Stained Glass Association of America, pp. 194–195 & 227–228
2. ^ Harden, Michael, "Passion in Glass", Ohio Magazine, p. 96
3. ^ Conte, Jeanne (Oct 1997), "Where Angles Hover", The World & I, pp. 221–227
4. ^ John Ratzenberger. John Ratzenberger'southward Fabricated in America (Television Product). Columbus, Ohio: Discovery Channel.
5. ^ Bryce Jacobs (2008). Ohio Home & Garden (Television production). Columbus, Ohio: WSYX - TV.
6. ^ Lloyd, J.G. (1968), "In Memoriam", Stained Glass, Journal of the Stained Glass Association of America, vol. LXIII, no. 3, p. 23
7. ^ McMunn, Robert (10 June 1979), "Franklin Art Drinking glass Studios Prosper In German language Village", Columbus Dispatch, pp. G-6
8. ^ Hogan, Mike (iii March 2003), "Local Business organization Possessor Says Stained Glass Can Tell a Story Through Fine art", The Daily Reporter, pp. 1 & iii
9. ^ Harben, Katherine (October–November 2008), "The Masters", At Abode in Columbus, pp. 22–23

Works [edit]

• Powell United Methodist Church, Powell, Ohio
• St. Mary'due south Macedonian Church, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
• St. Joseph Church, Carbohydrate Grove, Ohio
• First Church building of God, Ashland, Kentucky
• St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox, Allentown, Pennsylvania
• Bluewell United Methodist, Bluefield, Due west Virginia
• Carmel Lutheran Church building, Carmel, Indiana
• Nicky Restaurant, Estes Park, Colorado
• Paradiso Restaurants, Fargo, North Dakota
• St. George Serbian Greek Orthodox Church building, Hermitage, Pennsylvania
• Church of the Ascension, Hurricane, West Virginia
• Knight Cap Restaurant, Lansing, Michigan
• Peace United Methodist Church, Louisville, Kentucky
• St. Elijah Serbian Orthodox Church, Merrillville, Indiana
• First Baptist Church, Milton, West Virginia
• Parkersburg Mausoleum, Parkersburg, West Virginia
• Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio
• Village Chapel United Methodist, Ashville, Ohio
• St. Pauls Episcopal Church, Dayton, Ohio
• The Glen at St. Joseph Chapel, Dayton, Ohio
• Stonybrook United Methodist Church, Gahanna, Ohio
• Kenyon Higher (restoration), Gambier, Ohio
• Wittenberg University (restoration), Springfield, Ohio
• Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio
• Ohio Land University - Thompson Library reading room lamps, Columbus, Ohio
• University of Wisconsin – Library Ceiling, Madison, Wisconsin
• St. Peters Church, Mansfield, Ohio
• Mt. Vernon Nazarene College, Mt. Vernon, Ohio
• River Station Restaurant, Peoria, Illinois
• Academy of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Ohio
• Bishop Watterson High School, Columbus, Ohio
• Columbus Academy, Gahanna, Ohio
• Grandville Public Library, Grandville, Ohio
• Beth Jacob Synagogue, Bexley, Ohio
• Ohio Wesleyan Academy, Delaware, Ohio

External links [edit]

• Official website

scotttheiged.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Art_Glass_Studios

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