I personally know of a handful of utilitarian and decorative forms Lawrence manufactured through the course of 1866 to 1883 - before his kiln accidentally caught fire. The company rebuilt and its manufacturing style changed.
A much larger fire roared through in 1891 when Lawrence Pottery had taken on more of an industrial appearance - totally destroying three of the businesses that operated along the Bass River in Beverly. Charles Lawrence's company was one of those fatalities. Lawrence died in 1896 and the company continued to operate until its doors were finally shut in 1906. The most important, skilled and experimental years - where those that predate 1883 before the Industrial Revolution altered the appearance of the American potter's industry forever.
Like I said, very little is known of this company's earliest wares and decorative techniques - outside of what is seen in Watkins book.
Beverly pottery is equal to William Pecker's work in Merrimacport, Massachusetts as my favorite all-time potters. Each skill was unvarying and has gained a great deal of my curiosity.
I wrote of my discovery of the possible kiln site of William Pecker a few weeks ago.
Possible William Pecker Kiln Site Report
This morning, I set out to see if I could find any remains of the operation of Lawrence Pottery in Beverly. Watkins pictures the remains of Charles Lawrence and fellow potters after the kiln caught fire in 1883 - wrecking all the pottery inside. That is pictured in figure 5 (a) of her book. With the idea of the kiln burning in 1883 and a massive fire in 1891 - all of which happened along the Bass River - I thought there must be some kind of remains.
Bass River - Beverly, Ma
Watkins wrote, "During the sixties (1860s) Lawrence produced the familiar types of redware. The pitcher in Figure 57 is an example of his output that looks much older in style than it really is. It is brushed with white and green slips, which contrast agreeably with the brownish-red background. A decade later the concern was making terra cotta and decorated wares in the taste of the period. Vases of classic design were turned for home embellishment. It is said that Edwin A Rich's (potter who worked for Lawrence) talent for creating beautiful forms led to much experimentation and to the commercial expansion of the pottery...After 1900, they advertised flowerpots, antique pottery, and roasting pans and were wholesale dealers in stoneware, rockingham, yellow wares, glassware, and drain pipe." (Lura Woodside Watkins, Early New England Potters and Their Wares, page 72)
Possibly Charles A Lawrence Mug - Beverly, Ma
Style Appears Much Older than it is - Likely 1860s
Photo Courtesy: Samuel Herrup Antiques - Sheffield, Ma
Period advertising led me to the near exact area of where the Charles Lawrence Pottery may have once stood and unfortunately, a great-deal of construction has taken place and is currently ongoing. The kiln site is not known, but the area of where it once was stood certainly is. There were likely a number of kilns within the company's lifespan.
For the sake of this report - I will not reveal too much information about the forms that Charles Lawrence once made because I enjoy the hunt for pottery as much as I do the research and writing angle of it. I would rather not give too much information away. I hope you can respect my decision.
Current Construction Site Near Where Charles A. Lawrence Pottery Once Operated
New Parking Lot Near the Site of Where Charles A. Lawrence Pottery Once Operated
My thought was that if there were any obvious remains - they would likely be near the river where the company operated. Naturally, that's where I headed. I will not reveal my exact location at this time. I would rather keep it a secret as it took a great deal of research to figure this all out.
Bass River - Beverly, Ma
Charles A. Lawrence Pottery Operated on the River
Bass River - Beverly, Ma
Charles A. Lawrence Pottery Operated on the River
Bass River - Beverly, Ma
Charles A. Lawrence Pottery Operated on the River
Bass River - Beverly, Ma
Charles A. Lawrence Pottery Operated on the River
I made my way down to the shores of the Bass River and I began to look. At first, all I saw were redware drain pipes - which I do not believe where a wholesale product of the pottery like Watkins described above, but instead - this particular example I believe was made at the Beverly pottery since it was made of pure redware.
Redware Drain Pipe - Likely Made in Beverly, Ma
Late 19th Century
The expected drain pipes made of stoneware were seen everywhere. This is what they are typically made of - not redware. After 1900, the Beverly pottery acted as a wholesaler of drain pipes made by the Portland Stoneware Company in Portland, Maine. The Portland Stoneware Company supplied much of New England with such wares - these Portland wares were everywhere, but the redware example shown above was the only example seen made in the manner it was.
Stoneware Drain Pipe - Likely Made in Portland, Me
Portland Stoneware Company
Portland Stoneware Company
Late 19th Century
As I looked around the shores more - plenty of sherds began to appear in plain sight. I found these wonderful strongly incised examples, which are likely from the 1870s - when the company experimented with Old World Grecian forms.
Charles A Lawrence Terra Cotta Examples of Old World Pottery Techniques
Likely 1870s - Made in Beverly, Ma
A painted rim sherd appeared - which too, was likely an Old World style.
Charles A Lawrence Redware Rim Sherd that has Been Painted White
Likely 1860s to 1870s - Made in Beverly, Ma
I have previously written a report of the Old World Styles Made in Beverly.
There were plenty of redware sherds - even Rockingham examples which the company acted as a wholesaler for. Oddly, some of the redware sherds appeared eighteenth century, but most were of the correct period.
As-Found Redware Sherds and a Rockingham Sherd
The shoreline was covered in bricks. Some may have belonged to the old Beverly Pottery industrial building that no longer exists. However, none resembled actual bricks used in a kiln.
Burned Brick On the Shores of the Bass River - Beverly, Ma
Bricks Cemented Together on the Shores of the Bass River - Beverly, Ma
Bricks on the Shores of the Bass River - Beverly, Ma
Bricks Cemented Together on the Shores of the Bass River - Beverly, Ma
There were plenty of flower pots sherds, too - like Watkins described as a later product of the pottery. All the flower pots I saw were certainly hand turned and from the latter years of the nineteenth century.
Terracotta Flower Pot - Likely Made in Beverly, Ma
Late 19th Century
Large Terracotta Flower Pot
Likely Made in Beverly Ma
Circa 1880s to 1890s
All-in-all, I would say nearly fifty redware sherds were found in plain sight. I can only imagine how many sherds may lay at the bottom of the Bass River and in the nearby ground. I have a strong idea of two hills that are likely rich with evidence of this one-time pottery operation.
There will be much more to this topic soon - I am hoping to submit the details and the history of the pottery for an article down the road. It can be assumed the later kiln of Charles Lawrence may have been inside the brick warehouse that burned in 1891. It would have been a similar operation to many of the potters of the period that include the Dorchester Pottery Works in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
I have previously written a brief report of the Dorchester Pottery Works.
Dorchester Pottery Works
I have previously written a brief report of the Dorchester Pottery Works.
Dorchester Pottery Works
I will not share the pictures of where, but the clear water of the Bass River revealed an obvious amount of sherds scattered on the floor of the river bed. They were mostly Portland Stoneware Company drain pipes and flower pots which leads me to believe they were all from the 1891 fire, but who knows what else is down there.
I can only image how much activity this river once saw with such an important pottery working on its shores. The pottery was strategically located near Salem, Massachusetts - an area that likely served as a major distributor and consumer for the company.
Bass River - Beverly, Ma
Charles A. Lawrence Pottery Operated on the River
Bass River - Beverly, Ma
Charles A. Lawrence Pottery Operated on the River
This is the area where I believe the earliest kiln may have operated - the area that is now partially a tunnel for a road and an overpass for the MBTA railroad.
Possible Area of Charles A Lawrence's Earliest Kiln - Beverly, Ma
Much more to come...There is much more to this story!
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