Adam John Glossbrenner

Adam John Glossbrenner (August 31, 1810 – March 1, 1889) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, and in his youth learned the art of printing, a trade that would shape his early career and introduce him to public affairs and political life.

Glossbrenner’s education was largely practical and rooted in the printing and newspaper business. By 1827 and 1828 he was in Hamilton, Ohio, where he became publisher of the Western Telegraph. In 1829 he moved to York, Pennsylvania, a community with which he would be closely associated for most of his life. There he continued to develop his skills in publishing and journalism, gaining prominence in local Democratic circles and establishing himself as an influential figure in the regional press.

In 1831 Glossbrenner established the York County Farmer, marking his first major independent venture in Pennsylvania journalism. He expanded his involvement in the press when, in 1835, he became a partner in the York Gazette, one of the leading Democratic newspapers in the region. He maintained his connection with the York Gazette until 1860, using the paper as a platform to support Democratic policies and candidates and to comment on state and national issues in the decades leading up to the Civil War.

Glossbrenner’s printing and editorial work led naturally into public service. In 1836 he served as a clerk in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, gaining experience in legislative procedure and administration. His abilities were soon recognized at the national level, and he was appointed Clerk of the United States House of Representatives during the Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth Congresses, serving from 1843 to 1847. He then held a position in the United States Department of State in Washington, D.C., in 1848 and 1849, further broadening his experience in federal government operations and national politics.

From 1850 to 1860 Glossbrenner served as Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives, a key administrative and security post responsible for maintaining order and overseeing various logistical functions of the House. His decade in that role coincided with an era of mounting sectional tensions in the United States. In 1860 and 1861 he served as private secretary to President James Buchanan, working closely with the administration during the critical months immediately preceding the Civil War. In 1862 he helped establish the Philadelphia Age, a Democratic newspaper, while continuing to reside in York, Pennsylvania, thereby extending his longstanding influence in party journalism and public opinion.

As a member of the Democratic Party representing Pennsylvania, Adam John Glossbrenner contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office. He was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1865, to March 3, 1869. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, as the nation transitioned from Civil War to Reconstruction. In this capacity he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents at a time of intense national debate over reunification, civil rights, and the redefinition of federal and state authority. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1868.

Following his political career, Glossbrenner turned to business pursuits. In 1872 he engaged in banking in York, Pennsylvania, reflecting a shift from public office to private enterprise while remaining a prominent local figure. In 1880 he moved to Philadelphia, where he was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad, one of the most important transportation companies of the era, and continued in that employment until his death. Adam John Glossbrenner died in Philadelphia on March 1, 1889, at the age of 78. He was interred in Prospect Hill Cemetery in York, Pennsylvania, reaffirming his long and enduring connection to the York community.