Filed Under Businesses

The Vitrolite

Cleveland's Showcase for Structural Glass

Passersby often turn their heads as they pass the Vitrolite, a historic building located at 2915 Detroit Avenue. The striking 18,000-square-foot building stretches a full city block southward to Church Street. But rather than its exterior, the building's interior explains its name. A step inside the original showroom, currently occupied by Patron Saint Cafe, reveals a wall of Vitrolite glass tiles manufactured by the company through much of the twentieth century.

The Vitrolite was originally constructed in 1926 as a showroom and service space for the Vitrolite Company, which serviced the region with a revolutionary structural glass product that shaped architectural and interior design trends nationally and internationally for nearly four decades. 

Vitrolite was a brand of pigmented structural glass in the form of tiles and sheets known for a clean, shiny, colorful appearance. It was originally produced in 1908 in Parkersburg, West Virginia, by the Meyercord-Carter Company, whose founder George Meyercord of Chicago was anxious to expand his advertising sign business. Meyercord gathered investors and experienced glass manufacturers to guide the production of ‘milk’ glass. Parkersburg was in the middle of the ‘glass belt’ spanning northeastern West Virginia, southern Ohio, and western Pennsylvania. Several glass manufacturers in this area relied on the abundant energy provided by coal and natural gas in West Virginia and the ease of transport afforded by the Ohio River. Meanwhile, technological advances in the early twentieth century transformed the glass industry from a labor-intensive, manual process to machine-driven mass production. Instant business success prompted Meyercord to change the company’s name in 1910 to the Vitrolite Company with a second factory in nearby Vienna, West Virginia.

Thanks to its affordability and versatility, Vitrolite rapidly became popular throughout the U.S. and even abroad, and by 1923 it boasted representatives in 32 North American cities plus London, Sydney, Osaka, Shanghai, and Bombay. The company had established a Cleveland presence by 1912, when it operated out of 650 Woodland Avenue, but by 1921, the company had moved to 2909 Detroit, the building immediately east of where it established its new showroom in 1926. The product found many applications that fit the popular Art Deco, Streamline, and Moderne architectural styles of the 1920s through the 1950s. It typically served as a marble substitute for building design and applications. While it originated in oil-whie (milk glass), Vitrolite ranged in color from black, beige, and ivory to greens, blues, jade, and gray. One very popular application, storefront remodeling, was seen most everywhere in the country and involved the application of Vitrolite panels directly over masonry walls to ‘glamorize’ the presentation of window goods via clean, shiny, marble-like surroundings. Interior applications featured colorful etched and engraved Vitrolite glass-paneled lobbies and elevators in many American downtown buildings.

In addition to wall veneers, the glass was utilized in decorated lobbies, restroom partitions, and tabletops and countertops in restaurants, including in downtown Cleveland's Hippodrome Cafeteria and Mills Cafeteria. Hospitals, barber shops, and beauty parlors also found Vitrolite panels and fixtures conducive to cleanliness and ease of maintenance. By the 1920s, the product was so common in the kitchens and bathrooms of residential homes that its name was lowercased as “vitrolite.” Ultimately, artistic applications of Vitrolite emerged, including sculpted and etched paperweights, ash trays, glass figurines, and knick-knacks.

Vitrolite’s popularity convinced other manufacturers to make other brands of structural glass. These included Marietta Manufacturing in Marietta, Ohio, which produced the Sani-Onyx and Sanirox brands, and Pittsburgh Plate Glass, makers of the Carrera brand. And Vitrolite itself caught the eye of another Ohio manufacturer. In 1935, Libbey-Owens-Ford (LOF), of Toledo, (“Glass City”) Ohio bought Vitrolite. However, World War II marked the beginning of the end of Art Deco design and with it the reduced popularity of the structural glass applications. Though LOF continued production of Vitrolite into the 1950s, the firm became better known as a leading producer of sheet and automotive glass. In contrast, Pittsburgh Plate Glass, headquartered in Pittsburgh and now known as PPG Industries, remains in the structural glass industry.

Although Vitrolite has not been publically displayed inside Cleveland’s Vitrolite building for several decades, the building’s distinctive Vitrolite-clad interior showroom has remained. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, and from 2003 to 2022 it was home to the Intermuseum Conservation Association (ICA–Art Conservation), one of the world’s leading art conservation laboratories. The current owners and tenants acquired the property in 2022 to renovate the space. Architect Jonathon Kurtz designed a facade for the Church Street building entrance to mimic the historic design of the Detroit side with the endorsement of Cleveland’s Landmark Commission. Today the Vitrolite building houses the Harness Collective, a mixed-use building with a cycle spinning studio, cafe, yoga studio, children’s play area, and collaborative space for start-ups.

Images

"The Vitrolite"
"The Vitrolite" Currently, The Vitrolite houses the Patron Saint Cafe in the Detroit Avenue space. The original facade of the Vitrolite showroom has been preserved in its original design. Source: Natalie Lanese Date: April 2025
"A few Recent Installations".
"A few Recent Installations". This 1931 Vitrolite catalog page illustrates several interior applications of glass paneling material for walls, partitions and fixtures in a variety of functional buildings. Source: The Vitrolite Company Catalog: Archive.org Creator: The Vitrolite Company Date: 1931
Structured Glass for Restroom Stalls
Structured Glass for Restroom Stalls Vitrolite everlasting slab material applied to schools, colleges, and universities. Source: The Vitrolite Company: Archive.org Creator: The Vitrolite Company Date: 1923
Installations and Local Offices and Showrooms
Installations and Local Offices and Showrooms The 1923 Catalog noted installations at restaurants and listed Vitrolite showrooms in several cities. Cleveland restaurants are included in the listings as well as the showroom at 2909 Detroit Avenue. Source: The Vitrolite Company: Archive.org Creator: The Vitrolite Company Date: 1923
'Vitrolite for Storefronts' Catalog cover page
'Vitrolite for Storefronts' Catalog cover page Exterior applications of structural glass became very popular to 'glamorize' and feature retail storefronts in the 1920s and 1930s. The durable and easily cleaned material was embraced commercially. Source: The Vitrolite Company: Archive.org Creator: The Vitrolite Company Date: 1923
Installation Specifications
Installation Specifications Company catalogs contained detailed information concerning installation of the product for consumers, Technical specifications aided owners and installers with planning building upgrades. Source: The Vitrolite Company Catalog: Archive.org Creator: The Vitrolite Company Date: 1931
"Vitrolite Baths and Kitchens for All America" catalog cover
"Vitrolite Baths and Kitchens for All America" catalog cover Interior applications for residential homes also became a popular market for structured glass. The multicolor availability provided decorating alternatives and features for baths and kitchens here featured for home installation. Source: The Vitrolite Company Catalog: Archive.org Creator: The Vitrolite Company Date: 1946
"The Plant Behind the Product"
"The Plant Behind the Product" A rendition of the Vitrolite manufacturing plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Production of the product began in 1908-09. Source: The Vitrolite Company: Archive.org Creator: The Vitrolite Company Date: 1917
Industrial Installations and Local Showrooms.
Industrial Installations and Local Showrooms. This 1923 catalog page lists a sampling of industrial company ap[plications of Vitrolite products. The Templar Motor Car Company of Cleveland is included in the listing. Source: Vitrolite Company Catalog: Archive.org Creator: The Vitrolite Company Date: 1923
Theatre Foyer, Terre Haute, Indiana
Theatre Foyer, Terre Haute, Indiana The Carrara Catalog (Pittsburgh Plate Glass) featured applications of structural glass for interior lobbies and other fixtures. Carrera and Vitrolite were the primary global suppliers of the glass products. Source: Carrara Glass Catalog, Cleveland Public Library Date: ca. 1930
The Vitrolite Showroom location.
The Vitrolite Showroom location. The Vitrolite showroom was built in 1926 and occupied the entire building on Detroit Ave. (the unlabeled street atop the map). Cleveland Historical Maps (1927-37) mislabeled the building at 2915 Detroit as The Cleveland Yacht and Supply Company. Source: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=ddb0ee6134d64de4adaaa3660308abfd Creator: Cleveland Historical Maps. Date: 1927 - 1937
Church Street Entrance
Church Street Entrance The Vitrolite extends the entire block from Detroit to Church Street. Multi-use spaces accommodate a spin studio on this side of the building. Renovation architects designed this entrance to mimic the landmark design of the Detroit face. Source: Image courtesy of Natalie Lanese Date: April, 2025
2057 East 4th Street
2057 East 4th Street A view of east side of 4th street facing southeast. The storefronts in this 1950 photograph appear to be clad in structural glass. Source: Cleveland Public Library, A Gallery of Cleveland Photos. Creator: City of Cleveland, Board of Zoning Appeals Date: 1950
East 4th Street, 2025
East 4th Street, 2025 A similar view of the east side of East 4th street in 2025. The building facade appears to be the same structured glass facade as the 1950 photo . Creator: Jim Lanese Date: March, 2025
306 Prospect Avenue
306 Prospect Avenue The four-story Harold Building on the corner of Prospect Avenue East and East 4th Street appears to have a structural glass facade. It is Currently vacant awaiting redevelopment progress. Creator: Jim Lanese Date: March, 2025
The Vitrolite Showroom
The Vitrolite Showroom The front space of the building was the showroom for Vitrolite products. Currently, the Patron Saint Cafe occupies the space with original wall coverings featuring sample vitrolite applications. Source: Jim Lanese Date: April 2025

Location

2915 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH

Metadata

Jim Lanese, “The Vitrolite,” Cleveland Historical, accessed June 8, 2025, https://clevelandhistorical.org/index.php/items/show/1055.