Stiegel, Henry William

Stiegel, Henry William stēˈgəl [key], 1729–85, American iron and glass manufacturer, b. Germany. He emigrated to America, arriving in Philadelphia (1750). In 1758 he purchased his father-in-law's ironworks near Brickerville, Pa., where he manufactured iron stoves, developing the template type that served as a standard for many generations. About 1760, Stiegel laid out a town in Lancaster Co., Pa., which he named Manheim. In 1763 he brought glassworkers from England and built a plant at Manheim that was probably the first manufactory of flint glass in America. He is best known for the famous Stiegel glass, which he manufactured in colors ranging from light green to deep emerald, wine, amethyst, and blue, in the form of bottles, decanters, drinking glasses, and other wares.

See F. W. Hunter, Stiegel Glass (1950).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: American and Canadian Art: Biographies