The Hawley Glass Company was formed in 1882 as a limited partnership led by William F. Dorflinger, the oldest son of Christian Dorflinger, and a group of Wayne County “movers and shakers.” By late 1884, the partnership had become a corporation. Although it was related to the Dorflinger factory in White Mills, it operated as a separate company and never competed with the White Mills plant, which produced high-quality glass for cutting. Rather, the Hawley Glass Company specialized in green and amber glass used for bottles, mason jars and insulators. At the time of a disastrous fire in 1907, it was reported that the company employed 175 men in two large buildings. The Hawley Glass Company was still operating in 1925, but in 1928, a portion of the property was sold off. By 1931 the company had closed for good. The site was completely destroyed by fire in 1941.

From the files of the Wayne County Historical Society. The museum and library are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday through April.