Franklin Art Glass Studios
Encyclopedia
Franklin Art Glass Studios, Inc. is a stained glass
studio, stained glass supply wholesaler and retailer located in Columbus, Ohio
. The stained glass studio specializes in the design, fabrication, and restoration of stained leaded glass as well as faceted glass. The wholesale and retail departments meanwhile sell glass from nearly every domestic and foreign manufacturer and all the tools necessary to the trade. All facets of the business are located in Franklin’s 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²) facility located in the Historic German Village
district of Columbus.
. Henry worked there until the company’s closing in 1931 and passed his love and the trade of stained glass onto Elmore.
To keep Franklin Art Glass alive during those difficult times the decision was made that Kielblock would relinquish his ownership of Franklin Art Glass, which was actually his portion of the debt, to Helf. Kielblock would then operate as an independent contractor under the name, Ohio Trade Studios, all the while operating in the same building as Franklin Art Glass. Through this arrangement Helf would sell the Munich – style commissions designed and painted by Kielblock’s Ohio Trade Studio. This arrangement continued until Wilhelm Kielblock’s death in 1987.
After successfully riding out the depression Franklin Art Glass became a financially stable stained glass studio working on residential and liturgical commissions. In 1945 Elmore’s son, James Helf assumed control of the company after returning home from serving in WWII. Business was as usual until Franklin Art Glass was approached by Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, who were building their first hamburger stand just a few blocks from Franklin’s then Oak Street location. Wendy’s interior decorator wanted to use stained glass lamps in the restaurants, and with the help of Franklin Art Glass, they designed a series of hanging lamps which would eventually become synonymous with Wendy’s restaurants. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Franklin produced over 45,000 lampshades for Wendy’s and even expanded its employees to 40 to keep up with the demand.
Elmore Helf passed away on September 16, 1968 in Columbus, Ohio at the age of 76. According to an obituary published in ‘Stained Glass Quarterly’ he was remembered as “one of the oldest active members of the Stained Glass Association of America, his firm the Franklin Art Glass Studios having been members for over forty years.”
During this time of company growth it was necessary to have more room to accommodate the new business so Franklin was moved from its second location on 214 Oak Street to its new and current location at 222 East Sycamore Street. The new facility located in Columbus’s historic German Village
is a 23000 square feet (2,136.8 m²) plant with a 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) warehouse.
In 1971 after graduating with a degree in Business Administration from Eastern Kentucky University
, Gary Helf began working at Franklin Art Glass. Up until this point the business had been only stained glass commissions, but with the increasing popularity of hobbies in the late 1960s Franklin Art Glass decided to capitalize on the trend and began to offer stained glass classes. This eventually led to the retail and wholesale business through which customers can buy supplies.
Franklin Art Glass remains a multifaceted business by doing stained glass
commissions for such notable businesses as Victoria’s Secret, Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Max & Erma’s, and White Castle (restaurant)
all the while running a supply business.
In 2003 the fourth generation of the Helf family joined Franklin Art Glass’s legacy. Andrea (Helf) Reid started after graduating from Wittenberg University
in 2003 with a BA.
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
studio, stained glass supply wholesaler and retailer located in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. The stained glass studio specializes in the design, fabrication, and restoration of stained leaded glass as well as faceted glass. The wholesale and retail departments meanwhile sell glass from nearly every domestic and foreign manufacturer and all the tools necessary to the trade. All facets of the business are located in Franklin’s 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²) facility located in the Historic German Village
German Village
German Village is a historic neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus. It was settled by a large number of German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century, who at one time comprised as much as a third of the population of the entire city...
district of Columbus.
History
Franklin Art Glass Studios, Inc. was founded in 1924 with three principals, Wilhelm Kielblock, Wilhelm Kielmeier, and Henry ‘Elmore’ Helf. Originally located at 135 East Spring St. company’s creation was during the depression and as the depression deepened and commissions for stained glass continued to decline, Wilhelm Kielmeier pulled out of the company. This left Wilhelm Kielblock, a noted German stained glass designer and painter, and Elmore Helf, a business man, to reorganize the company. Elmore Helf was not the first member of the Helf family to run a stained glass studio, his father, Henry Helf, was shop foreman for Von Gerichten Art Glass Company in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. Henry worked there until the company’s closing in 1931 and passed his love and the trade of stained glass onto Elmore.
To keep Franklin Art Glass alive during those difficult times the decision was made that Kielblock would relinquish his ownership of Franklin Art Glass, which was actually his portion of the debt, to Helf. Kielblock would then operate as an independent contractor under the name, Ohio Trade Studios, all the while operating in the same building as Franklin Art Glass. Through this arrangement Helf would sell the Munich – style commissions designed and painted by Kielblock’s Ohio Trade Studio. This arrangement continued until Wilhelm Kielblock’s death in 1987.
After successfully riding out the depression Franklin Art Glass became a financially stable stained glass studio working on residential and liturgical commissions. In 1945 Elmore’s son, James Helf assumed control of the company after returning home from serving in WWII. Business was as usual until Franklin Art Glass was approached by Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, who were building their first hamburger stand just a few blocks from Franklin’s then Oak Street location. Wendy’s interior decorator wanted to use stained glass lamps in the restaurants, and with the help of Franklin Art Glass, they designed a series of hanging lamps which would eventually become synonymous with Wendy’s restaurants. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Franklin produced over 45,000 lampshades for Wendy’s and even expanded its employees to 40 to keep up with the demand.
Elmore Helf passed away on September 16, 1968 in Columbus, Ohio at the age of 76. According to an obituary published in ‘Stained Glass Quarterly’ he was remembered as “one of the oldest active members of the Stained Glass Association of America, his firm the Franklin Art Glass Studios having been members for over forty years.”
During this time of company growth it was necessary to have more room to accommodate the new business so Franklin was moved from its second location on 214 Oak Street to its new and current location at 222 East Sycamore Street. The new facility located in Columbus’s historic German Village
German Village
German Village is a historic neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus. It was settled by a large number of German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century, who at one time comprised as much as a third of the population of the entire city...
is a 23000 square feet (2,136.8 m²) plant with a 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) warehouse.
In 1971 after graduating with a degree in Business Administration from Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
, Gary Helf began working at Franklin Art Glass. Up until this point the business had been only stained glass commissions, but with the increasing popularity of hobbies in the late 1960s Franklin Art Glass decided to capitalize on the trend and began to offer stained glass classes. This eventually led to the retail and wholesale business through which customers can buy supplies.
Franklin Art Glass remains a multifaceted business by doing stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
commissions for such notable businesses as Victoria’s Secret, Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Max & Erma’s, and White Castle (restaurant)
White Castle (restaurant)
White Castle is an American regional fast food hamburger restaurant chain in the Midwestern United States and in the New York metropolitan area, and the first of its kind in the US. It is known for its small, square hamburgers. Sometimes referred to as "sliders", the burgers were priced at five...
all the while running a supply business.
In 2003 the fourth generation of the Helf family joined Franklin Art Glass’s legacy. Andrea (Helf) Reid started after graduating from Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
in 2003 with a BA.
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