Built in 1890 by John S. O'Connor, the Federal-style bluestone building that currently houses the Ledges Hotel was erected as a factory for glass manufacturing. Designed with pediment windows, shed-style roof, and decorative cornice, the three-story factory was built at the foot of the Wallenpaupack Falls representing the rich industrial culture of the region that remains historically significant in the present. John S. O'Connor American Rich Cut Glass Factory manufactured cut glass using Dorflinger blanks and generated electricity from the creek directly behind the building. Born in Ireland and moved to America as a child, John S. O'Connor was a glass cutting apprentice in the factories of New York City. His skills were instantly recognized by Christian Dorflinger at White Mills, where he was employed after serving in the American Civil War.

O'Connor became a pioneer of the glass industry, leading the inception of many other plants, including Keystone Cut Class Company and Wagnum Cut Class Company. Between 1880 and 1905, during the ""Brilliant Period"" of glass cutting, O'Conner designed his iconic collectible glass patterns, including Parisian, Florentine, and Princess. Even after T. B. Clark purchased the factory from O'Conner in 1902 for his own Maple City Cut Class Company, catalogs offering O'Conner's brilliant cut pieces were still issued. The factory shifted from a glass cutting manufacturer into a silk mill after H.W. Kimble moved the H. W. Kimble Silk Company into the building in 1926. Though, shortly thereafter, the factory was sold to the Arrow Throwing Mill, where it constructed all kinds of textile products. During World War II, for instance, the Arrow Throwing Mill provided to the war effort as a supplier of yarn for Emblems and nylon for parachutes.

In 1988, the factory was converted into an inn and began its transformation from operating as an industrial firm into a tourism service. Today, Ledges Hotel occupies the former glass cutting and silk factory and combines its original elements with modern upgrades to create a luxurious and historically rich establishment. Partnering with world-class architects of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and custom furniture designers from Boyce Products, Ledges Hotel embodies both luxury rustic charm and its rich historic character. Now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, Ledges Hotel has been a member of Historic Hotels of America since 2013.