Sandwich Glass Museum and Historical Society

Sandwich Glass Museum and Historical Society *** Our old page was hacked!

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The Sandwich Historical Society and its Glass Museum collects, preserves, and interprets the history of the Town of Sandwich, MA, with a rich tradition of glassmaking and many local artists.

Serving Up History at Swift TavernThis cast-iron cake griddle was once used in the fireplace at Swift Tavern in West San...
08/26/2026

Serving Up History at Swift Tavern

This cast-iron cake griddle was once used in the fireplace at Swift Tavern in West Sandwich (now Sagamore). As described in the classic book, "A Trip Around Cape Cod, Nantucket ,Marthas Vineyard, South Shore, and Historical Plymouth" by E.G. Perry, the "famous Swift Tavern was from Webster's time to Cleveland's: a favorite inn of Sir Izaak Walton's followers, because the streams or creeks hereabouts always abounded in large-sized trout.”

In the 19th century, taverns like this were not just places to get a meal or spend the night. They were gathering places where travelers and locals crossed paths, shared news, and did business. Objects such as this griddle were part of the everyday life of a busy tavern.

We know something about how this particular object survived. In 1913, the Barnstable Patriot newspaper reported the donation of this griddle to the Sandwich Historical Society as part of a gift from Mrs. Helen Hinckley Whitman, daughter of Enoch Hinckley (1793–1881), who had once been the landlord of Swift Tavern.

Donated just a few years after the Historical Society was founded in 1907, this humble griddle was among the objects an earlier generation of Sandwich residents believed were worth saving.

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Join us at the Sandwich Glass Museum on September 4th from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM for a special Artist Reception celebrating...
08/25/2026

Join us at the Sandwich Glass Museum on September 4th from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM for a special Artist Reception celebrating Chloe Jones. Come meet our summer resident artist, view her intricate torchworked glass creations up close, and enjoy light refreshments. Let's celebrate her amazing accomplishments and mark the end of a wonderful summer of creativity.

Step into the mesmerizing world of molten glass in this hands-on flameworking workshop! Learn how soft glass transforms...
08/21/2026

Step into the mesmerizing world of molten glass in this hands-on flameworking workshop!
Learn how soft glass transforms in the flame as you create your own unique glass beads. Guided step-by-step, you’ll master using a metal mandrel, pulling delicate stringers, adding colorful dots, and playing with amazing surface textures.
No prior experience is needed! Just bring your curiosity, a willingness to have fun, and remember to wear 100% cotton clothing and closed-toe shoes for safety in our HyArts Campus Flamework Studio.
Check out this link to sign up, https://sandwichglassmuseum.org/products/glass-beads-flameworking-workshop-hyannis?variant=52521547006239

Daniel Webster and SandwichWhat do these ordinary dishes have to do with one of the most famous American statesmen of th...
08/19/2026

Daniel Webster and Sandwich

What do these ordinary dishes have to do with one of the most famous American statesmen of the nineteenth century?

According to Museum records, they were used by Daniel Webster (1782–1852) at his home in Marshfield, Massachusetts. Their simple naturalistic decoration offers a glimpse of the private life behind a man who was a national celebrity; a renowned lawyer, orator, senator, and Secretary of State whose powerful arguments for the Constitution and the Union earned him the title “Defender of the Constitution.”

Webster also had a personal connection to Sandwich. Beginning at least as early as 1820, he and his wife Grace regularly spent time here with friends, while Webster hunted the marshes and fished the trout streams of Sandwich and neighboring Mashpee. His letters document repeated visits, including a memorable 1825 excursion when he caught 26 trout in a single day. Local tradition also closely associated him with the Fessenden Tavern on Main Street, later the Central House and renamed the Dan’l Webster Inn in 1915.

The cup and plate were donated to the Sandwich Historical Society in 1914 by Melissa Thurston Ellis, a former Boston & Sandwich Glass Company worker who later served as Curator of the Historical Society from 1919 to 1928. Her gift reflects the work of an earlier generation that recognized how even ordinary objects could preserve Sandwich’s connections to the larger American story.

Webster’s national legacy is complex. He opposed the extension of slavery into new territories, but in 1850 supported a compromise intended to preserve the Union that included a strengthened Fugitive Slave Act—reflecting the deepening divisions over slavery that would ultimately lead to the Civil War.

As we mark America’s 250th anniversary, this cup and plate connect national history with local memory, reminding us that what communities choose to preserve helps determine which stories are remembered.

Did you know there was a celery craze?It may seem like an ordinary vegetable today, but in the 1800s celery was one of t...
08/16/2026

Did you know there was a celery craze?
It may seem like an ordinary vegetable today, but in the 1800s celery was one of the most fashionable foods you could serve.
After improved cultivation methods produced the crisp, pale stalks we recognize today, celery emerged as a status symbol in Britain and the United States during the 1830s and 1840s. Because it was difficult and expensive to grow and ship, displaying fresh celery on the dinner table became a sign of refinement, prosperity, and fashionable taste.
Victorians even created a specialized piece of tableware just for celery. Tall glass celery vases, filled with a little cold water, kept the stalks fresh while displaying their leafy tops like a bouquet of flowers. In an era of elaborate dining etiquette, many foods had their own serving pieces, but few as elegant or instantly recognizable as the celery vase.
The Boston & Sandwich Glass Company embraced the new fashion. Starting as early as the 1830s, the company produced celery vases in a variety of patterns, combining practicality with the craftsmanship for which Sandwich glass became famous.
The celery craze reached its peak between about 1850 and 1880, when formal Victorian dining was at its most elaborate. By then, elegant celery vases had become a standard feature on fashionable American tables. As celery became easier to grow and more affordable in the late 19th century, however, the fashion gradually faded and the tall celery vase disappeared from most dining rooms.
Today, these vessels remain a reminder that changing tastes—even for something as simple as a vegetable—can inspire entirely new forms of art and design.
The next time you visit the Sandwich Glass Museum, stop by the Hannah Rebecca Burgess dining room to see one of our Boston & Sandwich celery vases displayed just as it would have appeared on a Victorian table—filled with celery and ready to impress dinner guests.

Curious about mosaic art but not sure where to begin? Join us for a beginner-friendly workshop this Saturday and learn t...
08/13/2026

Curious about mosaic art but not sure where to begin? Join us for a beginner-friendly workshop this Saturday and learn the fundamentals of mosaic making! Guided by an experienced instructor, you'll master cutting techniques, layouts, and grouting to bring your creative vision to life.
Your registration includes all materials and your choice of several beautiful base options to work on. Plus, 100% of the proceeds directly support SGM's educational programs and community outreach!
Join us at the Sandwich Glass Museum! We are open every day from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
https://sandwichglassmuseum.org/products/make-a-mosaic-workshop?variant=52623932915999

Building Community in the New RepublicWhen William Fessenden (1769–1846) came of age, the United States itself was new. ...
08/13/2026

Building Community in the New Republic

When William Fessenden (1769–1846) came of age, the United States itself was new. Over the course of his lifetime, he became one of Sandwich's most prominent citizens and helped shape the civic and commercial life of the growing town.

Fessenden operated the Fessenden Tavern on Main Street from about 1790 until 1830. Later known as the Central House—and today the site of the Dan'l Webster Inn—the tavern provided food and lodging to travelers, served as a stop along important transportation routes, and became a gathering place for the community. Even sessions of the Barnstable County Probate Court were held there.

Fessenden was also a substantial landowner. Before the arrival of the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company transformed the town's economy beginning in the 1820s, he reportedly paid the highest property tax in Sandwich.

This 1840 lithographic portrait bears the printed mark of Bufford's Lithography and a much more personal inscription: "Your affectionate father, Wm Fessenden." It remained in the family until 1913, when his granddaughter Grace Fessenden donated it to the Sandwich Historical Society.

As America continues to mark its 250th anniversary, Fessenden's portrait reminds us that the new nation was created in #250 communities like Sandwich, through local businesses, public institutions, transportation networks, and the everyday work of civic life.
🇺🇸 America at 250

This is your friendly reminder to stop by the Gallery Shop and view the incredible work of Fritz Lauenstein. From signat...
08/09/2026

This is your friendly reminder to stop by the Gallery Shop and view the incredible work of Fritz Lauenstein. From signature miniature vases to internationally renowned marbles and suncatchers, his colorful Cape Cod glass art is a must-see.
Join us at the Sandwich Glass Museum! We are open every day from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
Click here to learn more about Fritz's work!
https://sandwichglassmuseum.org/pages/artist-profile-fritz-glass?_pos=1&_psq=fritz+glass&_psid=fc91870e1&_ss=e&_v=1.0&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=events&utm_campaign

Major Charles Chipman (1830–1864)Before he became a Union officer, Charles Chipman worked as a machinist at the Boston &...
08/05/2026

Major Charles Chipman (1830–1864)

Before he became a Union officer, Charles Chipman worked as a machinist at the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company, the industry that transformed Sandwich into one of America's leading glassmaking centers.

Chipman began his military service as captain of Company D, organized in Sandwich as part of the 29th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. His leadership earned him a promotion to Major in 1861, and in June 1864 he was transferred to the 14th New York Heavy Artillery, a regiment heavily engaged in the fighting around Petersburg, Virginia.

On August 8, 1864, Major Chipman was killed in action during the Siege of Petersburg, one of the longest and most decisive campaigns of the Civil War. The Union victory there helped bring about the fall of Richmond and, months later, the surrender of Confederate forces at Appomattox.

Chipman was the highest-ranking officer from Sandwich to lose his life in the Civil War, and his sacrifice was not forgotten. When local veterans established their Grand Army of the Republic post after the war, they named it Charles Chipman Post No. 164, ensuring that his service would be remembered by future generations.

As we commemorate America's 250th anniversary, this portrait reminds us that the Civil War was fought not only by professional soldiers but by ordinary Americans—glassworkers, farmers, merchants, teachers, and craftsmen—whose lives were forever changed by the conflict.

🇺🇸 America at 250

✨ Donor Spotlight: Thank You, Visitor Services Board! ✨The Sandwich Glass Museum is grateful to the Visitor Services Boa...
07/31/2026

✨ Donor Spotlight: Thank You, Visitor Services Board! ✨

The Sandwich Glass Museum is grateful to the Visitor Services Board for their generous support of our kiln and sandblaster.

Their investment helps us create meaningful opportunities for people of all ages to learn, create, and connect. Through hands-on experiences and shared creativity, these essential tools help build community, inspire curiosity, and make art an accessible way for people to come together.

Thank you, Visitor Services Board, for helping us continue to enrich our community through the art, history, and tradition of glassmaking. Your support makes these experiences possible.

💙 We are honored to have partners like you who help keep creativity and connection at the heart of our mission.

Learn more about the Visitor Services Board here! 🔗⬇️
https://www.sandwichmass.org/265/Visitor-Services-Board?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=

Address

129 Main Street
Sandwich, MA
02563

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm
Sunday 9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+15088880251

Website

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