It's Happening: Local Attraction Series #7: Appalachian Glass
By Julie Perine on August 13, 2023 from It’s Happening via Connect-Bridgeport.com
After seeing Chip Turner create a glistening glass ornament, it’s easy to understand his fascination with the process at an early age.
“I started playing in glass about 42 years ago,” said the longtime owner of Appalachian Glass Company in Weston.
His works are created and sold at the Weston store. They are also available for purchase at State Park gift shops throughout the state, as well as Tamarack in Beckley and “mom and pop” stores across Almost Heaven West Virginia.
Turner considers himself a skilled glassblower, not an artist, but the beauty and uniqueness of each piece is undeniable.
“Every glass studio has its own bread and butter thing. Ours are ornaments and balls: Friendship balls, witch balls, hummingbird feeders, windchimes, etc.,” he said. “We also do animals, paperweights, pen holders and other items.”
Some custom pieces feature engraving and etching or are filled with LED lights.
“Not only do we make the glass, but we try to tie in all of the basic skills and techniques that were used in the area, then we put our own spin on it,” he said. “We are always thinking outside the box and people often call and we do special projects for them.”
Turner uses a soda-lime crystalline base to create molten glass via a furnace that runs constantly at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. When touched by the pre-heated blowpipe tip, the liquid starts to solidify, but the instrument must be turned consistently to keep it from running off. He then rolls it in multicolored fritt – ultra small particles of ground up glass.
“Then we chill the outside surface and pack tight to the blowpipe end, which makes a rind on the glass like a little eggshell,” Turner 
said. “Then we cool the bottom of it and give it some air.”
said. “Then we cool the bottom of it and give it some air.”
After removed from the pipe, the object is placed in an annealing kiln to slowly cool the glass. When taken out of the kiln, the glass colors are even more prominent as glass refracts differently when hot, Turner explained.
It’s a skill he has been honing his entire life and one that has been in practice for thousands of years. The longevity of glassmaking and glass itself makes it a unique, rewarding trade.
“Glass making is 3,800 years old, so theoretically, 4,000 years from now, something could be in someone’s hand that I made,” Turner said. “If no one breaks it, my breath could still be on this earth.”
Most importantly, his trade is keeping our state’s history alive and providing people with pretty objects that will last. Turner and his son Todd are the only glass makers at Appalachian Glass and there are only a handful of others across West Virginia; a state that was once booming with the glass industry.
“We’ve had around 474 glass factories in the state’s history and the city of Weston happened to have several,” Turner said. “It’s what people did here.”
Turner’s dad was a mold maker at West Virginia Glass and had a machine shop at home where he repaired objects for locals. That’s where Turner first began dabbling, learning more during high school by spending time with the instructor of the high school glassmaking class. He went to work for Louie Glass; his background with tools and machinery proving to be valuable. From Louie Glass, he went to work for its parent company Princess House until he decided to open his own glass business.
Appalachian Glass has been in business for 23 years. It is located at 499 US-33, just prior to entering downtown Weston. The building also houses the Lewis County Convention & Visitors Bureau and a year-round Farmers Market featuring jams, jellies, sauces and other regionally-made items. It’s less than a 30-minute drive from Bridgeport.
See additional photos and video below.
Julie Perine can be reached at 304-848-7200 ext. 2 or julie@connect-bridgeport.com.
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