Glass Museum ready to open store

The board, with the aid of a loan from the Fairfield County Visitors and Convention Bureau, purchased the Lancaster National Bank building on Main Street in February. The future home of the museum was purchased for $195,000, payable in installments of $3,051 per month.

The museum will concentrate on the history of the glass industry in Fairfield County.

The key to turning the building into a museum and keeping the museum operating will be the store.

The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"Any profit we make at the store will go to support the maintenance and operation of the museum," said Hajost.

Hajost said volunteers have worked on refurbishing the old part of the building, which held the bank vault. Back in the vault area will be a place for a consignment seller.

"It had suffered water damage from a fire that happened years ago," Hajost said.

The board and its volunteers worked on the walls and put in shelving and display cases for the glassware.

"We had to paint the walls and the ceiling tiles," Hajost said.

The store, with approximately 3,000 square feet of space, will open its doors for the first time Monday.

"We'll have a large variety of glassware," Hajost said. "Everything from champagne glasses to baking dishes."

The store also has a variety of candles for the season and will feature a glassware etch artist. Alan Davis of Chillicothe will come into the store during the week and etch glassware products.

The manager of the store will be Amy Speer.

Hajost said that while this will be the first part of the museum to open, plans are being drafted for the rest of the museum.

An architect and a contractor have already been selected.

"We want to open the museum next year during Ohio's Bicentennial," Hajost said. "But it will probably be later in the year."