The Osborn Family Kiln and Shop Area of 18th and 19th Century South Danvers, Massachusetts

The Osborn name is synonymous with the early redware industry of South Danvers, Massachusetts (today known as Peabody). The industry began in the early eighteenth century with Joseph Osborn and grew to a company at the center of the Essex County earthenware industry. The Osborn family is New England's largest family of potters with dozens of names tied in with the potters craft on Boston's North Shore, New Hampshire and throughout New England. The Osborn business was centrally located in Peabody with many of the potters opening their shops to the north, south, west and east of it.

Osborn Family Redware Pitcher (Likely John Osborn) - Peabody, Ma

Late 18th Century

Yesterday, I visited the area I like to refer to as the "Osborn Neighborhood" of Peabody, Massachusetts. I was curious to see what the one-time operation of more than a dozen family members and a number of additional apprentices, traveling potters and employees once saw as an important part of their New England heritage.

This will be an ongoing series as I plan to revisit many of the areas Harvard Professor Lura Woodside Watkins once studied - for her book, "Early New England Potters and Their Wares. Additionally, I will introduce a number of potters sites that she did not discuss allowing me to formally introduced important new potters. I have put a lot of research into this subject. My online reports will not provide a detailed account of all my findings, but rather - a brief overview of what I will hopefully be saving for future writing. I will also not provide exact street addresses or locations to any of these sites.

The Osborn family are likely Essex County's most successful pottery shop. The business began in the early eighteenth century by Joseph Osborn and continued well into the twentieth century when it ended abruptly in the 1940s with a massive fire. The location now serves many housing needs for the greater Peabody and Salem, Masschusetts areas and for locals who play soccer.

Up until the early 1860s - the shop remained under Osborn family ownership when it was sold to the potter, Joseph Reed - who later sold it to the potter, Moses Paige and then a pair of Italian potters saw ownership in the final years of the business. The shop can be considered a huge success up through Moses Paige's company. The potter Joseph Reed owned a home in the "Osborn Neighborhood" - where most of the family homes no longer stand. However, many of the newer homes likely stand on a number of homes that Osborn family members once called home.  This area was all open land at one time and it now appears as an urban environment. The back yards likely have an abundance of remains from this business - and homeowners probably have no idea of the history each lives on top of now.

 Osborn Neighborhood - Street View 1 - Peabody, Ma

  Osborn Neighborhood - Street View 2 - Peabody, Ma

As I drove south from Newburyport, Massachusetts - I had the addresses of two Osborn homes that I hoped were still standing. I soon found out that the home of Joseph Osborn, a Victorian home still stood - while the former home of Amos Osborn was now a parking lot. As far I could see - the Joseph Osborn house was the only home still standing of the more than dozen Osborn potters who worked in this area at one time.

 Former Home of Joseph Osborn with Likely Original Barn and Weathervane

Appears of the Victorian Period

Peabody, Ma

Osborn was a19th Century Potter 

There was More than One Osborn Named "Joseph"

 Interesting Wood Work on the Joseph Osborn Home

Likely the Original Entrance to the Home

The Home Appears to Have Been Preserved 

Parking Lot of Where Amos Osborn's Home Once Stood - Peabody, Ma

In plain sight within the open dirt in front of the Joseph Osborn house - were examples of early redware that were likely made across the street - where the Osborn shop once stood. It was quite exciting to even see redware sherds being used as fill for the driveway.

 Glazed Redware Sherd

Likely from the Osborn Pottery - Peabody, Ma

 Nicely Glazed Redware Rim Sherd with a Stoneware Sherd (Not Related to the Pottery)

Likely from the Osborn Pottery - Peabody, Ma

Unglazed Redware Sherd 

Likely from the Osborn Pottery - Peabody, Ma

The former home of the potter, Joseph Reed, which no longer stands - was seen at one time directly across the street from the Joseph Osborn house. There is now a street sign there that reads, "Osborn Terrace." The house that now stands was likely built near the turn of the twentieth century. Redware sherds were easily seen near this property, too.

Former Location of Home of the Potter, Joseph Reed - Peabody, Ma

Reed's Home No Longer Stands

Lura Woodside Watkins credits the Osborn kiln and shop to be where a huge community century and housing development now stands, however, I have a feeling there may have been a number of kilns located throughout this neighborhood. A group of community service buildings were built on top of the old Osborn land that Watkins refers to.

 Community Center of Where the Osborn Site Likely Once Stood - Peabody, Ma

Osborn Redware Business Operated Here from the 18th thru the 20th Centuries

 Peter A. Torigian Community Life Center Sign - Peabody, Ma
There are Multiple Buildings

 Community Center in Peabody, Ma

Community Center Buildings in Peabody, Ma

The perimeter of the community center buildings and soccer field provided a number of redware sherds that included an obvious black glazed early example that was even glazed on the bottom. This was a technique mostly seen by Portsmouth, New Hampshire potters and William Southwick - an eighteenth century potter who worked about a mile away. The black sherd may have been the work of Southwick or the earliest Osborn family potters. Terracotta flower pot sherds were seen, too - which were a major product of the Moses Paige Pottery near the turn of the twentieth century.

 South Danvers, Ma Redware Black Sherd

Possibly William Southwick

Early 18th Century

Glazed on the Bottom

 Likely Moses Paige Pottery Flower Pot Sherds - Peabody, Ma

Late 19th Century

A hill on the property of an apartment development near the land of where Amos Osborn once had a home - revealed a number of redware sherds. The earth was covered with pine needles from the pine trees that stood directly above. I pulled some of the pine needles away and all I saw where glazed redware sherds. I have a feeling this hill may be full of sherds and possibly the location or near a kiln that Amos Osborn may have operated in the mid nineteenth century.

 Penelope Apartments in Peabody, Ma

Near the Home of Amos Osborn

 Hill on Property Showed a Number of Redware Sherds

 Redware and Stoneware Sherds

19th Century

 Possibly a Redware Tile

Probably 19th Century

 Redware Sherds 

19th Century

Redware Sherd Glazed Only on Interior

Early to Mid 19th Century

I have a redware jar at home that is exact in glaze, clay type and form to the reddish-brown glazed sherd above. It was found in southern Maine, but I have no-doubt that I can now attribute it to the nineteenth century Osborn pottery or perhaps Joseph Reed's business in Peabody.

Osborn Pottery Or Joseph Reed Redware Jar - Peabody, Ma

Early to Mid 19th Century

Glaze is Exact to the Sherd Above

(Flash made this jar's glaze appear lighter than it really is)

There is a school that borders the property of Joseph Reed's home - unfortunately, I did not photograph it. I walked the perimeter of the property and it was littered with a number of redware sherds. I saw this terracotta form which appeared unusual to me. It may have been an attempt to imitate the Grecian vases that were largely produced in Revere and to a smaller degree in Beverly, Massachusetts. The sherd seen in Peabody was likely the small remains of a huge jar. Its skill was much less than the Grecian sherds found recently in Beverly.

 Terracotta Sherd with Interesting Incised Decoration

Found Near the One Time Property of the Potter Joseph Reed - Peabody, Ma
Likely 1870s

Heavy Terracotta Rim Sherd

 Found Near the One Time Property of the Potter Joseph Reed - Peabody, Ma
Possibly 1870s

Without much effort - roughly fifty or sixty redware sherds were seen. Many displaying nicely applied glazes that I have never seen before associated with Peabody or South Danvers, Massachusetts.

The "Osborn Neighborhood" is easily a qualified candidate for an archaeological dig. For roughly one block sherds were easily seen - that leads me to believe the land is rich with sherds and possibly kiln artifacts. Unfortunatly - an archaeological dig is unlikely with such a variety of land ownership between privately held lots, school land and city ownership. It would however, be interesting to see. The Osborn kiln and business area are as an important as any single potters business as there is in New England. The business began many years before the American Revolution and continued successfully well into the twentieth century.

The industry that revolved around the Osborn shop can be compared the to community that lived in Charlestown, Massachusetts before the American Revolution. I have visited most the potters sites of South Danvers, Massachusetts and I plan a report for each this week. I have possibly found important information about one of the families that previously nothing was known about.

It should be a fun week!

Stay tuned for all of this and much more...