These glass insulator fragments were collected from Constitution Hall in Lecompton, which was designated a National Historical Landmark for its role in the 1857 Lecompton Constitution. The building is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The hall was constructed in 1855 and functioned in a variety of different roles. In the summer and fall of 1988 Kansas Historic Society archeologists excavated at the site, trying to trace the building's construction history prior to renovation. Insulators were used on the tops and crossarms of telegraph, electric, and telephone poles to insulate the electrical wires. Shown here are fragments of Hemingray Glass Company insulators in a style used from the 1890s to the 1920s for long distance telephone usage. The Brookfield Glass Company of Brooklyn, New York, (1864-1929) is also represented here. Three of the fragments have embossed patent dates of May 2 and 1893.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Glass Insulators from Constitution Hall, 14DO321 - 1