C&O Saint Albans, West Virginia Depot 4" Cobalt Blue, by Blenko
Following the success of our wildly-popular, hand-blown 384 water bottles from the Blenko Glass Company that commemorated the City of St. Albans’ deep history with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, we are excited to unveil these companion suncatchers that further recognize the home to the C&O Historical Society's first permanent location outside of Clifton Forge.
Created in partnership with the Blenko Glass Company of Milton, West Virginia, the custom design again features the C&O Railway’s famous depot in St. Albans. For this piece, Blenko Glass Company's Cobalt Blue was selected in honor of St. Albans Junior High School. Beautifully represented by the world-famous glassmaker, the suncatcher's representation of the historic wooden structure comes from the C&O Historical Society’s vast archives of C&O Railway company documents and diagrams.
Surrounding the archival drawing of the depot reads, “Saint Albans, West Virginia” in a historically-accurate typeface that was used by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in their last decades of passenger service, which served the wooden depot in western Kanawha County until 1968. Also crafted into the glass is an etched C&O Railway insignia that can still be seen on multiple railway underpasses along MacCorkle Avenue in Kanawha City.
In 2022, following a unanimous city council vote, the C&O Historical Society signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of St. Albans to showcase and develop the one-of-a-kind railway depot into a museum and tourist destination. Setup and construction is underway by C&OHS volunteers who will convert three rooms in the depot to a 1940s-appropriate waiting room, a room with interpretive panels on local history, and an O-scale layout representing St. Albans and South Charleston.
Blenko has manufactured a limited number of pieces that can not only be used as a suncatcher, but also as a tree ornament or even as a paperweight. However, you choose to use yours, the finished product is a tasteful tribute to the City of St. Albans and the C&O Railway’s history there.
The wooden railway depot, completed by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in 1907, is a one-of-a-kind structure that served the region for decades throughout the 20th century. Replacing older structures that served passengers and offered freight service, it is preserved today by the City of St. Albans.
Blenko’s unique ability to combine their vast manufacturing experience with modern, digital-age techniques has made it possible to create these history-themed pieces with tremendous quality and accuracy.
When creating historical items for sale in support of our organization, which derives its revenue only from membership dues, retail sales, and donations from the public, we have made an effort to use American-based manufacturers wherever possible.
