FROM THE ARCHIVES
The imposing J. S. O’Connor Rich Cut Glass Factory in Hawley, PA was one of the finest cutting shops in the world. Built of stone on solid rock, it was run by water power, and its own plant served its electrical needs. The founder of the business, John S. O’Connor, was born in 1831 in Ireland and came to the United States at the age of 16. He was apprenticed to a glass cutter in New York and worked as superintendent of a prominent New York company until he left to volunteer in the Civil War.
Upon his discharge, O’Connor was hired as superintendent for C. Dorflinger & Sons, staying with the company for 25 years. In 1890, he retired from Dorflinger and built the factory in Hawley, where his son, Arthur E. O’Connor, manufactured all kinds of fine cut glassware. The handsome building at the base of the Paupack Falls is now the elegant Ledges Hotel.
From the collection of the Wayne County Historical Society located at 810 Main St. in Honesdale, PA.
