Wellsboro Glass Historical Association

The Lightbulb. We take it for granted today, but the invention is quite fascinating and the production behind the bulb itself is even more amazing!

Original bulbs were blown by hand. But in 1926, William Woods of Wellsboro, PA with the help of engineers from Corning Glass, invented a machine that would change history. First operated at the Wellsboro Corning Plant, the ribbon machine revolutionized glass industry, turning out more than 1000 bulbs per minute! In 1939, war in Europe and tension with Japan threatened the supply of Christmas ornaments. These ribbon machines would be used in the mass production of glass Christmas ornaments, making Wellsboro, “The Town that Saved Christmas”

The Wellsboro Glass Historical Association (WGHA) preserves this history unique to the small town of Wellsboro; remembering the innovation, production, and the people that worked here.

The Wellsboro Glass Historical Association was founded in 2021 and seeks to build community pride and a deeper understanding of Wellsboro’s important role in glass manufacturing. In May of 2025, WGHA opened the doors to our little museum at 19 Crafton Street in downtown Wellsboro. This location has allowed us to install an exhibit using the artifacts and stories in our collection and a space to offer programming on the history of Wellsboro glass.

Our goal is to acquire, preserve and present this history and its associated artifacts. The ultimate goal of the WGHA is continued operation of a museum and the preservation and display the 2 ribbon machines currently in storage. Our hope is to educate the public about the important contributions Wellsboro PA made to glass manufacturing history and encourage the next generation of innovators to consider their own creative potential.