A vintage white milk glass footed compote in the paneled grape pattern by Westmoreland.

The Westmoreland Glass Company made pressed glassware in Grapeville, Pennsylvania, starting in the late nineteenth century. They produced opaque white glass items, often called milk glass, to satisfy a widespread public demand for decorative tableware that imitated older porcelain styles. Skilled craftsmen pressed hot molten glass into heavy metal molds to create these detailed raised fruit motifs and scalloped edges.

Families used these footed bowls on dining tables to serve mayonnaise, sauces, berries, or nuts during everyday meals and special gatherings. Over the decades, changing interior decor trends led many households to store them away or display them in cabinets rather than using them for food service. Production eventually ceased when the factory closed, leaving these functional pieces behind as reminders of mid-century kitchenware traditions.