Roborough, PA, By Cornelius Holgate Toys

For as long as I live I will never forget the blocks I played with when I was a child. Holgate Toys created these blocks, which dates back to 1789. In Roborough, PA, Cornelius Holgated created a woodworking shop, which eventually resided in Kane, PA.

Holgate was one of the first toy companies in the US to create a toy market for children in 1929. The company worked with early educators to create toys that were educational and safe for children to use. Holgate uses wood to create their blocks. These blocks are so much different than the blocks my friends had at their own houses. There was something about them that made them much different than the blocks other children had. These blocks were special. I would get so excited to travel to my grandmother’s

They were perpetually put perfectly in the box, they all had a place, fitting together perfectly. After doing some research, I have found there are 11 different shapes of blocks in the set. The set consists of triangles, half circles, squares, rectangles, and more, all of which have rounded edges that are very smooth. Consequently, this is different than other blocks we encounter today, which are largely plastic. In fact, the only similar attribute seems to be the shapes of the blocks, as well as some of the colors of the blocks, though the colors Holgate typically used were red, yellow, green, and blue. The colors of these blocks are what made them even more fun to play with and it genuinely sets the scene for people to know this is a toy for children. My siblings and I used these blocks to build all kinds of commodities—towers, houses, or even just putting them all together to discover what would result. These blocks had both a social and a physical function to them, for they brought my siblings all together, creating a hands on activity for us all to participate in together. Holgate assembles these blocks from non-toxic paints, along with natural kiln dried hardwoods, next, they are

It even proves true for all of their sets, for Holgate has manufactured all of them to be the same. Holgate’s blocks are very recognizable and anyone who has used them before would be able to pick them out among a random pile of blocks. These blocks are so meaningful to my family since they are what my grandfather played with while he was growing up. Nearly 20 years ago, my grandfather passed away. I never met him and nearly all of my siblings do not have much to remember him by. I feel sense of comfort to know I find joy out of something that once brought my grandfather joy as well. Even my mother and her siblings played with these blocks growing up. It definitely says something considering they’ve lasted this long. I recognize these blocks as being art due to the fact they provoke feelings and provides an emotional connection from myself to my grandfather. Furthermore, Holgate is very creative and inventive, this shows in their products, for there are not other children toys like Holgate’s toys. Correspondingly, Holgate picks out great colors, for they catch the eye and are aesthetically pleasing. All of the colors seem to work together, even though the block set only consists of four colors. All in all, these