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History of Glass Making in Fislerville (Now Clayton)

With the help of Juneanne Wescoat Glicks books They Blew Glass and The Recorded Businesses of Clayton Township



Jacob P Fisler (1789-1868)


Fisler Town was named after the Fisler family. They first settled in the area in 1753. By the early part of the 19th century they owned most of the land in that part of Franklin Township, Gloucester County.  The Fislers operated 2 sawmills there. One was Scotland Run (now Wilson Lake) and the other was Still Run (now Silver Lake). There they produced lumber. In that early time prior to 1850 Fisler Town had no other businesses. The 2 saw mills most all of its lumber was sold to surrounding towns. Fisler Town was situated 3 miles South of Glassboro and 6 miles North of Malaga. Both towns had thriving glass factories, Fisler Town being in the middle of the two was not unfamiliar with the growing glass industry. Approximately 1849 the first glass factory was being built and in 1850 it was in full blast. Jacob P. Fisler and Benjamin Becket were partners. They were listed in the 1850 U.S.cenus as glass manufactures and dealers making “hollow ware” Benjamin Becket also was listed as a dealer in Dry Goods, Groceries and Variety. The glassworks also had a blacksmith named John Heritage. At this time Fisler Town was renamed Fislerville. The new glass factory carried the same name. “Fislerville Glass Works” made various bottles, jars, vials, and credited with making one version of the famous Jenny Lind historical flask with the glass factory’s name embossed on one side. August 17th 1852 Benjamin Becket sold his share of the glass factory to Edwin P. Bacon therefore in 1852 the glass works was renamed Fisler, Bacon & Co. however it was still referred to as Fislerville for many more years to come. Unfortunately not 3 years later on August 31 1855 Edwin Bacon met an untimely death in a tragic train accident, in Burlington. He was 37 years old.



Fisler Town prior to 1850
 
Due to financial difficulty and the untimely death of Edwin Bacon, John M. Moore took over ownership of the failing Fislerville Glass Works in 1856. John Moore was not unfamiliar with glass factory operations having been involved in several other glass making ventures in Millville. (At this time the history of glass making in Fislerville becomes too vast and complex to cover in a short article I will briefly cover some of the more important acquisitions and company name changes.) Over the next 10 years John M. Moore was very much involved buying tracts of land around the surrounding areas for his growing businesses. In 1858 because of the large growth in population and business the New Jersey Legislature passed an act to create a new township. It included Fislerville, Glassboro, Union (Aura) Hardingville and Fries Mills. The newly created township was named Clayton Township. In 1867, Fislerville was officially renamed Clayton. In October 1863 the glass works in Fislerville became ”Moore Brothers & Co.” also known as “The Clayton Glass Works” still it was referred to as Fislerville Glass Works by most until much later. Over the next 13 years the Moore family had bought and sold land gained and lost partners and by 1876 the glass works had grown covering an area of 15 acres. This included four large glass factories producing all sorts of bottles. Within this large area there was a gristmill, a sawmill, a machine shop, a carpenter shop, 5 immense warehouses for storing the manufactured stock, large elevated coal bins and a railroad track that ran entirely through the grounds. As well every necessary auxiliary to one of the most extensive and best arranged glass works in the Union., There was a large General store and attached office building. Moore Brothers employed 400 men in 1880 with 100 tenant houses. The Moore Brothers closed its doors just before World War 1.

In1880 Dr Charles Fisler, Henry and Walter Morgan formed another glass factory at the North end of Clayton. On a 10acre piece of land with its own steam mill, machine shop, packing house, office and a large store. Several years after Henry Morgan withdrew. Soon after the new glass works was renamed F.M.Pierce Company.



Glass Blowers in the early 20th century including the “carry in boy
 
In 1927 three brothers opened yet another glass factory in Clayton. Their father was William Clevenger he had blown window glass at Batsto until times got tough he than moved his family to Clayton to work for the Moore Brothers while there his youngest son worked as the traditional “carry in boy”. The Clevenger Brothers (Thomas, Lorenzo and Allie) were inspired after attending the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial and seeing the value of the Whitney Brothers Booz bottle. At that time it was worth 160.00 this of course was allot of money in those difficult times. Being glass gaffers in need of work they decided if they could get their hands on a mold they could make their own bottles to sell, so they did! The Clevenger’s made bottles and flasks and a line of reproduction glass in the old South Jersey tradition. The Clevengers blew glass in Clayton for the next 30 years. Later the business was sold to Jim Travis, he blew glass at that same location until just a few years ago.

At their height of production the Moore Brothers and the Whitney Brothers Glass factories dominated, making bottles and glass of all types. There are records that indicate that the two large companies even shared large orders from time to time, it must have been quite a site. Keep in mind the close proximity of the two large operations. Now one can only try to imagine what life would have been like and what Clayton would have looked like back in the good old days. Now nothing remains other than the small Clevenger Brothers Glass Factory and out buildings, I wonder what its fate will be?