About Us
The Dorflinger Factory Museum Arts Center consists of the Factory Office building and the Lower Cutting Shop. Guided tours of both buildings are provided throughout the day. Admission to the Museum is free of charge, and group visits and tours are very welcome. Built in about 1888, the Factory Office building is a beautiful example of early Pennsylvania cut bluestone construction. The exteriors and interiors of the Factory Office building have been fully restored to their original condition, but with updated electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and heating and air-conditioning systems to provide a modern, climate-controlled museum environment. The beautiful chestnut and cherry woodwork and glass panels of the building’s interior reflect the success of the Dorflinger company at the peak of its operation in the late 1800s. The first floor of the Factory Office building contains the original factory pay desk, a collection of Hensel photographs showing the factory buildings and the town of White Mills during the company’s operation, and numerous examples of Dorflinger glass from the Museum’s permanent collection. The second floor of the Factory Office building contains the restored factory showroom, with its high ceilings, elaborate woodwork, and plaster walls. The showroom houses an extensive display of Dorflinger glass from the Museum’s permanent collection spanning all periods and styles of glass produced by the Dorflinger company. Tours of the Factory Office building also include a short film showing actual glass blowing in Dorflinger’s White Mills factory in 1916.
Built in 1883, the Lower Cutting Shop is a large, three-story rectangular Pennsylvania bluestone building that housed part of the cutting department during the factory’s operation. The fully restored “green room” at the upper end of the Cutting Shop was the factory showroom during the last years of the company’s operation, and now contains a detailed scale model showing all aspects of the glass cutting and engraving process. This room also houses the extensive Ray LaTournous collection of Dorflinger glass. The LaTournous collection is a unique study collection that spans all styles and designs of fine glassware produced by the Dorflinger companies in Brooklyn and White Mills. The LaTournous collection also includes many pieces of historical significance and pieces with ties to local families. A visit to the Lower Cutting Shop also provides an opportunity to see the restoration work still underway on the two main cutting floors of the building. These spaces will eventually house exhibits on the company, the glassmaking process, including actual equipment used during the factory’s operations, and the local community.
Finally, the Dorflinger factory property contains the White Mills Community Trail. The trail project provides a comfortable walking path from the White Mills Fire House, behind the Cutting Shop, to the Dorflinger Glassworker’s House on Charles Street. The trail project also includes eight interpretive panels explaining the history of the company and the local community, the factory operations, the glassware, and the glassmaking process. The White Mills Community Trail was designed and constructed by the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary with generous support from federal, state, and local organizations.
