Franklin Art Glass Studios

Franklin Art Glass Studios, Inc. is a Columbus, Ohio stained-glass business combining custom studio work with wholesale and retail distribution of glassmaking materials. Its studio specializes in the design, fabrication, and restoration of stained leaded glass, along with faceted glass work. The supply side of the business sells glass made by domestic and international manufacturers as well as tools and other materials used by stained-glass professionals and hobbyists. The company was established in 1924 by Wilhelm Kielblock, Wilhelm Kielmeier, and Henry “Elmore” Helf. Its early history unfolded during the Great Depression, when demand for stained-glass commissions weakened. Kielmeier eventually left the company, leaving Kielblock, a German-trained-style stained-glass designer and painter, and Helf, a business-oriented partner, to reorganize the operation. To preserve the business, Kielblock relinquished his ownership interest, which was connected to the company’s debt, to Helf. Kielblock continued working from the same building as an independent contractor under the name Ohio Trade Studios, and Franklin Art Glass sold commissions designed and painted through that arrangement. The relationship continued until Kielblock’s death in 1987. After surviving the Depression, Franklin developed a stable commission business serving residential and liturgical customers. A major turning point came after World War II, when Elmore Helf’s son James Helf took control in 1945. During the 1960s and 1970s, the company became closely associated with Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers. When Wendy’s was developing its first restaurant near Franklin’s Columbus location, the restaurant’s interior designer worked with the studio to create stained-glass hanging lamps. Franklin subsequently produced more than 45,000 lampshades for Wendy’s restaurants and expanded its workforce to approximately 40 employees to meet the demand. Growth associated with the Wendy’s work prompted a move from the company’s Oak Street premises to its current German Village facility on East Sycamore Street. The site includes studio, warehouse, retail, and wholesale functions and is described as covering approximately 35,000 square feet in total. In the early 1970s, the business broadened beyond commissioned work. Gary Helf joined in 1971 after completing a business administration degree at Eastern Kentucky University, and the company began offering stained-glass classes in response to the rising popularity of craft hobbies. Those educational activities helped lead to the development of a retail and wholesale supply operation. Franklin’s later commission portfolio has included work associated with Wendy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Max & Erma’s, and White Castle, while the company has continued selling supplies to glass artists and hobbyists. The Helf family’s involvement has extended into a fourth generation: Andrea Helf Reid joined the company in 2003 after graduating from Wittenberg University. Franklin Art Glass therefore operates as a hybrid craft manufacturer, restoration studio, educational provider, and specialist materials retailer rather than solely as a consumer-facing product brand.

Franklin Art Glass Studios began in Columbus, Ohio, in 1924 under the partnership of Wilhelm Kielblock, Wilhelm Kielmeier, and Henry “Elmore” Helf. Kielblock was the studio’s principal artistic figure, known for stained-glass design and painting, while Helf contributed business leadership. The company was founded at 135 East Spring Street during a period that became increasingly difficult as the Great Depression reduced the number of stained-glass commissions. Kielmeier withdrew as the economic situation worsened, prompting a reorganization by Kielblock and Helf. The reorganization placed the company’s survival ahead of maintaining the original ownership structure. Kielblock surrendered his ownership interest, which represented his share of the company’s debt, to Helf. He then continued as an independent contractor under the name Ohio Trade Studios while working in the same building. Franklin Art Glass marketed commissions designed and painted by Kielblock, including work in a Munich-influenced style. This unusual arrangement allowed the company to retain access to Kielblock’s artistic capabilities while giving Helf control of the operating business. It lasted until Kielblock died in 1987. Franklin survived the Depression and established itself as a stable provider of residential and liturgical stained-glass commissions. In 1945, Elmore Helf’s son James returned from military service in World War II and assumed control. The company later entered an important commercial relationship with Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers. When Wendy’s was preparing its first hamburger restaurant near Franklin’s Oak Street location, its interior decorator sought stained-glass lighting. Franklin helped design the hanging lamps that became a recognizable feature of Wendy’s restaurants. During the 1960s and 1970s, Franklin produced more than 45,000 lampshades for the chain and increased its staff to roughly 40 employees. The expansion required additional space. Franklin moved from 214 Oak Street to 222 East Sycamore Street in Columbus’s historic German Village. The present site combines production and storage functions and is described as a roughly 35,000-square-foot facility, consisting of a 23,000-square-foot plant and a 12,000-square-foot warehouse. The move helped accommodate both commercial production and the company’s continuing architectural commission work. The business broadened its model in the early 1970s. Gary Helf joined in 1971 after graduating from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in business administration. Until that period, Franklin had primarily operated as a commission-based stained-glass studio. As craft hobbies gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the company began teaching stained-glass classes. Education and hobby demand supported the creation of retail and wholesale divisions that sold glass, tools, and related supplies. Franklin subsequently maintained a mixed business portfolio. It continued producing and restoring stained glass for commercial and institutional customers while supplying makers across the trade. Listed commission relationships include Wendy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Max & Erma’s, and White Castle. In 2003, Andrea Helf Reid joined the business after graduating from Wittenberg University, extending the Helf family’s involvement into a fourth generation. The company is described as continuing to operate from German Village as a studio, restoration provider, educator, and stained-glass materials retailer.

• 2003

  Fourth-generation family involvement

  [1]Franklin Art Glass Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Andrea Helf Reid joined the business after graduating from Wittenberg University.

• 1971

  Expansion into classes and supplies

  [1]Franklin Art Glass Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Gary Helf joined the company, which expanded from commission work into stained-glass instruction and later retail and wholesale supply.

• 1960

  Wendy’s lamp program begins

  [1]Franklin Art Glass Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Franklin collaborated with Wendy’s designers on stained-glass hanging lamps for the restaurant chain; production continued through the 1960s and 1970s.

• 1945

  James Helf assumes control

  [1]Franklin Art Glass Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Elmore Helf’s son James took control of the company after returning from World War II service.

• 1931

  Kielblock–Helf operating arrangement

  [1]Franklin Art Glass Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  During the Depression-era restructuring, Kielblock transferred his ownership interest to Helf and continued operating as an independent contractor through Ohio Trade Studios.

• 1924

  Company founded in Columbus

  [1]Franklin Art Glass Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Wilhelm Kielblock, Wilhelm Kielmeier, and Henry Elmore Helf established Franklin Art Glass Studios in Columbus, Ohio.

A multigenerational, full-service stained-glass specialist serving architectural and commercial commissions while also supporting professional makers and hobbyists through classes, retail products, and wholesale distribution.

• Architectural glass · 1924

  Custom stained and leaded glass

  The studio designs and fabricates stained leaded glass for residential, liturgical, and commercial settings. Its work involves artistic design, glass selection, cutting, assembly, and related fabrication. Franklin also undertakes restoration, making this offering relevant to historic, devotional, and architectural interiors where existing stained-glass panels require conservation or reconstruction.

• Architectural glass

  Faceted glass

  Franklin’s studio work includes faceted glass, a form of decorative architectural glass assembled from shaped glass pieces and bonding material rather than conventional lead came alone. The offering complements the company’s leaded-glass capabilities and allows it to produce substantial decorative panels and other architectural installations.

• Lighting components

  Commercial stained-glass lighting

  The company has produced stained-glass lampshades and hanging lighting components for commercial interiors. Its most prominent documented program was the production of more than 45,000 lampshades for Wendy’s restaurants during the 1960s and 1970s, helping establish a repeatable production capability alongside its one-off studio commissions.

• Craft supplies

  Glass and stained-glass supplies

  Franklin’s wholesale and retail divisions sell glass sourced from a broad range of domestic and foreign manufacturers. The supply assortment also includes the tools and materials needed for stained-glass work, serving both trade customers and individual makers. This distribution activity grew after the company began offering classes and responding to the popularity of stained-glass hobbies.

• Education · 1971

  Stained-glass classes

  Beginning in the early 1970s, Franklin added classes to introduce customers to stained-glass techniques. The educational offering supported the company’s transition from a commission-only studio into a broader craft business and helped create demand for its retail and wholesale inventory of glass, tools, and related materials.

• 1960Wendy’s stained-glass restaurant lighting

  United States

  Franklin worked with Wendy’s interior designer to develop stained-glass hanging lamps for the hamburger chain’s restaurants. The program grew into large-scale production during the 1960s and 1970s, when Franklin made more than 45,000 lampshades.

  Outcome. The lamps became strongly associated with Wendy’s restaurant interiors and helped Franklin expand its workforce and move to a larger facility.

  Source

• 1971

  Diversification into education and suppliesStrategy

  Background

  Growing interest in stained-glass hobbies created an opportunity beyond the company’s traditional architectural and residential commissions.

  Action taken

  Franklin began offering stained-glass classes and developed retail and wholesale operations selling glass, tools, and other supplies.

  Aftermath

  The company became a multifaceted studio and supply business serving professionals, commercial clients, and hobbyists.

  Source

• 1931

  Restructuring during the DepressionStrategy

  Background

  Declining stained-glass commissions and the withdrawal of Wilhelm Kielmeier placed pressure on the young company.

  Action taken

  Wilhelm Kielblock transferred his ownership interest to Henry Elmore Helf and continued as an independent contractor under Ohio Trade Studios, allowing Franklin to retain access to his design work while reorganizing its ownership and operations.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement helped the company continue operating through the Depression and lasted until Kielblock’s death in 1987.

  Source

1. 1Franklin Art Glass Studiosen.wikipedia.org