WEST VIRGINIA'S FIRST FAMILY OF MARBLE MAKERS Jim Davis was born in West Virginia in 1930. In 1946 he started working in a glass plant making hand-crafted glassware. After learning all of the phases of making stemware, he began using lunch breaks to experiment making other glass objects such as paperweights, eggs, flowers, animals, and other figurines. In 1967, while still working at the plant, he opened his own hand-cut glassware shop in Pennsboro, working in the evenings to fill the orders.

Cool Slideshows

August 8, 2005 - Gov. Joe Manchin helps to finish restoring the eagle on the very top of the capitol dome by inserting new red marble eyes crafted by Davis Marble Company of Pennsboro.

In 1990, he was encouraged by Louis Moore (a retired Vitro Agate 
marble maker) and Dennis Webb (co-author of Greenberg's Guide to 
Marbles) to make marbles. In 1991, he built his own furnace, made 
his own equipment, and started making marbles. In 1992, unable to 
work at the glass plant and keep up with his marble orders, he 
retired from the glass plant and started making marbles full time 
at his own glass studio in Pennsboro, West Virginia.

Jim spent lots of time making marbles as well as time traveling
to marble shows across the country. Marbles with no signature were 
made around 1990 to 1992. Marbles with a rather large signature 
were made from 1992 to the mid nineties. As he made and signed more
and more, his signature got smaller and smaller. You may have one 
where Jim actually signed the top of the marble rather than the 
finished end. Somewhat rare but it did happen. 

He loved to make marbles from peewees to well over 3" in styles of 
balloons, snakeskin's, lobed and the peacock marble.  He made a few 
sulphides as well. Most of the pieces in the sulphide marbles were 
also made by Jim. 

In November of 2000, Jim suffered a severe stroke which paralyzed
him on his left side. he remained in the hospital for quite some 
time until he was released to go home. After a year at home, Jim 
was moved to a nursing facility where he is today. 

He is visited daily by Margaret as well as his sons.

Shortly after Jim became sick, he asked his six sons to take over 
the marble business. Steve soon retired from an automotive plant 
where he worked and began to fill the orders for marbles. The store 
was once again opened.

The boys decided to start with a set of marbles in Margaret's honor 
which is a marble from each son and one from Jim. The set is listed 
below. 

We'd like to thank all those who have kept in touch and you can bet 
that Jim is always glad to hear from you.

If you collect contemporary marbles and have one from Jim, let us 
know and we'll give your name to Jim and let him know that his 
marbles have made it to private collections everywhere.


Thank you!