At the junction of Parker and Putnam Streets in Manchester, Connecticut, the Pitkin Glassworks Ruin preserves the remains of one of New England’s oldest glass factories. Founded in 1783 as the East Hartford Glass Works, it grew from a state-granted 25-year monopoly awarded to William and Elisha Pitkin after their financial losses supplying gunpowder during the Revolutionary War. The factory produced mostly practical green glass, including demijohns, inkwells, pitchers, and bowls, but struggled financially and closed in 1830. Later preservation efforts by the Pitkin family, local citizens, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Manchester Historical Society helped save the site and its archaeological record.