The large eyeglass sculpture across the street from our hotel plays homage to the long history of eyeglasses in Southbridge. With Southbridge’s long history of manufacturing optical products, the town has been given the unofficial title “Eye of the Commonwealth”, in reference to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The first steel-framed eyeglasses in America were invented in Southbridge in 1843. That small business evolved into the highly successful American Optical Company (AO), which made its home in Southbridge and became the world’s largest manufacturer of ophthalmic products, and at its height employed more than 6,000 people around the world. Many of AO’s workers were exempted from the draft during World War II since they were doing vital defense work, including making Norden bombsights to aid the crew of bomber aircraft in dropping bombs accurately, as well as working on many scientific breakthroughs within the optical field.
Less than a mile away from our property, the rich AO history can be explored at The Optical Heritage Museum at 12 Crane Street. The oldest and greatest optical company in American history has pioneered optical and eyewear innovation for centuries. AO’s founders believed everyone should have access to eyewear, not just the elite, and changed history by bringing spectacle manufacturing to the US. Since then, AO has originated sun wear styles worn by pilots, Presidents and NASA space crews.
The nearby museum highlights breakthrough technologies and key milestones in their history, including:
As we rebranded our property in 2024, we were excited to add a display to our hotel property. This changing display features items from the Optical Heritage Museum on a rotating basis and open to all to enjoy. Make sure you stop by and visit the display as well as the original marble staircase. [Photos – existing display in hotel]
In addition to in-person visits, the museum offers virtual displays, sharing their rich optical heritage with an even wider international audience through their website (http://www.opticalheritagemuseum.com/) and social media platforms.
The Optical Heritage Museum has thousands of items within their collections and displays including microscopes, Lensometers, multifocal and antique spectacles. They highlight incredible moments in history, and without these scientific discoveries our lives would be very different. Visit the Optical Heritage Museum and discover the origins of the optical industry and the history behind many items we use daily.