Greenpoint Glass Works and Gleason-Tiebout Glass Factory (1902-1946); Knockdown Center

In 1902, this historic building became home to the Greenpoint Glass Works which later became the Gleason-Tiebout Glass Factory. As Queens and Greenpoint have changed over the years, so has this structure, which is now home to a performance venue known as the Knockdown Center. When this part of the city was an industrial hub, this building produced bulbs for indoor gas lamps and other products. Now that this neighborhood is a creative center, this building is a multipurpose event center housing film, music, and fine arts events. Nine cans worth of glass, left over from rejected bulbs, can still be seen in the basement.

This 50,000 square foot building housed the Gleason-Tiebout Glass Factory until 1946 and was previously known as the Greenpoint Glass Works which produced lamps and lightbulbs. That company constructed this facility in 1902, during a time when the surrounding area of Queens and Greenpoint were industrial centers of New York City.

In 1946, Gleason-Tiebout moved across Newton Creek to a different building. The factory had different owners over the years before being converted into an event center in 2012. It was then that the forgotten history of the Gleason-Tiebout Glass Factory was rediscovered. When construction workers jackhammered into the concrete floor, trying to install restrooms before the upcoming Frieze Art Fair, they discovered tunnels in the basement leading to the disused glass smelter, surrounded by piles of discarded pieces of glass. According to a former employee, the glass was thrown out of sight if someone made a mistake when working, and eventually someone put a concrete floor over all the pieces left behind when the company moved.

Since being changed into event space, the Knockdown Center has housed events from film showing to art installations to Carnegie Hall productions. The glass discards can still be seen in the basement, which now houses a Techno club.

Knockdown Center, Atlas Obscura. Accessed March 31st, 2023. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/knockdown-center.

About, Knockdown Center. Accessed March 31st, 2023. https://knockdown.center/about/.

Ihaza, Jeff. THE KNOCKDOWN CENTER IS MAKING SPACE FOR EVERYONE, The Outline. August 21st, 2017. Accessed March 31st, 2023. https://theoutline.com/post/2120/the-knockdown-center-makes-space-for-everyone.

Cobb, Geoffrey Owen. Glass Production in Greenpoint, Historic Greenpoint. April 17th, 2014. Accessed March 31st, 2023. https://historicgreenpoint.wordpress.com/2014/04/17/glass-production-in-greenpoint/.