Bottle Exhibit

This was a previous exhibit shown in the Featured Exhibit area.

Bottled in Rockingham: The glass containers used to hold products of Rockingham County businesses

May 15 through August 31, 2024

The exhibit is a joint project of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County Historical Society and the Historic Bottle-Diggers of Virginia. On display are the various bottles used to contain milk, medicine, mineral water, soda, beer, liquor, etc. in the 19th and 20th century, and a description and history of the Rockingham County companies that filled them.

A portion of the exhibit explains bottle manufacture. Bottles were not made in the county, they were purchased from glass-houses in nearby states; Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. There was a chronological progression of bottle making processes that left observable marks on individual bottles, allowing the approximate age of a bottle to be ascertained. This exhibit demonstrates the different bottle types and closures and explain how they were made.