The Continued Study of the Dodge Family Pottery in Portland, Maine in the 18th and the 19th Centuries

A topic that I have written about recently is the Dodge Family Pottery (ca. 1796-1875), which operated in Portland, Maine during the late-eighteenth and the nineteenth-centuries. Ultimately, this was one of Maine's earliest - and, likely most-important businesses. The Dodge Pottery was a father-son operated company that saw Benjamin Dodge (1774-1838) as the proprietor - until his unexpected and untimely death in 1838 - and, as result his son, Benjamin Dodge, Jr. (1802-1875) took control of the business. Recent reports have included the idea of shifting the knowledge and beliefs of what we think we know today about other Maine-based potter's businesses - and, possibly shifting some of those longtime attributions to the production and output at the Dodge Pottery in Portland.

According to an article written by author, M. Lelyn Branin in 1969 for the magazine, 'Old Time New England, "The inspiration for these lines from (Henry Wadsworth) Longfellow's Keramos (poem in the Maine Historical Society) probably came from an earthenware pottery which existed in Portland (Maine) near the end of the eighteenth century and throughout much of the nineteenth."

"(The) Founder of this pottery was Benjamin Dodge, son of Jabez Dodge who had come from Beverly, Massachusetts, around 1771 or a little before and established an earthenware pottery business in Exeter, New Hampshire. When about twenty years of age the son apparently decided to go on his own and set up a pot shop in Portland, Maine. There are several early references to Dodge and his pot shop in the Journal of the Reverend Samuel Deane (of Portland). In listing new dwelling houses and business opportunities in Portland, and additions to old ones, he has this entry for 1796, 'add to the pot house...' This must refer to the Dodge Pottery, for so far as we know, no other existed in Portland at that time."

When Benjamin Dodge arrived in Portland in 1794 or 1795, he apparently rented or leased a property on "Maine" Street (now Congress Street), as shown by the 1795 advertisement, where he established his home and pot shop. More space was soon needed for the potting activities so an addition was made to the pot house in 1796, as noted by Deane.

Dodge moved his pot shop in 1802 or 1803 to Green Street. The only account we have of the Dodge pottery by a contemporary, is a type script copy of a paper by William Goold of Portland which was deposited in the Library of the Maine Historical Society in 1928."

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"Mr. Dodge made progress in his Art. He commenced to ornament the most expensive jars and pots, especially water pitchers made to order, making them with the initial letter of names.

I remember one piece of ware made in 1825, on one side of which was purported to be a likeness of Lafayette, who was then the nation's guest and having initials of the lady for whom it was intended on the other.

On some of the ware made by Mr. Dodge, were attempts at the likeness of animals and birds in relief and some modes in the glazing. Of those in relief the legs and tails of animals seemed to have been placed without due care. A horse would have the forward legs of a Giraffe and perhaps the tail of a cow. Cats had a severe curl to their tails like the tail of a nervous dog. 

Busts of people received more care. Most of these were in profile. After the pieces were finished they were set in another room to dry, and it was favourite amusement with some bad boys, whom the good men tolerated notwithstanding, to disfigure the human faces by drawing down the corners of the mouths to produce a ludicrous expression. This disfiguring, the potter did not observe until it was too late to mend, and it was fired in the kiln with the others, set away on the shelf, and sold at reduced prices."

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Dodge died soon after Mr. Goold's account of how some of the wares made by Dodge in the 1820's appeared - Dodge reportedly suffered from melancholy and later insanity - before he eventually killed himself in 1838. I am curious to know if the disfigured animals were the result of Dodge's state of mind. I am also curious to know if the boys who altered Dodge's pots did it on purpose to mess with Dodge - or, were the boys merely having fun at Dodge's expense. Did they know of his mental issues?

Dodge's son, Benjamin Dodge, Jr. ran the business well into the 1870's. Reports suggests that most of his output was the result of Dodge since he was not believed to have regularly employed an apprentice - unlike his father, who is regarded as employing a few apprentices. "Much of the output (after 1838) was sold locally, but since the business was located near the wharves in a busy port a considerable quantity of the ware must have found its way to many points along the coast. Shipment by water was an important means of distributing wares, especially before rail transportation became widespread."

The following map shows the whereabouts of the latest Dodge Pottery kiln in Portland bordering Brattle Street and Potter's Lane in 1871, which was shown in the Cumberland County, Maine Atlas from that same year. Pictured below that, is a current map that reveals Brattle Street is still located in Portland today - also seen on the current map is the city's waterfront and docks that are only a few blocks from where the Dodge Pottery operated in 1871.

Map Showing the Location of the Dodge Pottery in Portland, ME in 1871

Photo Taken from the Cumberland County, ME Atlas Published in 1871
The Pottery was Located on Brattle Street and Potter's Lane

Published by F.W. Beers, New York

Photo Courtesy: Old Time New England, M. Lelyn Branin

Map of Portland, ME Showing Battle Street and the Dodge Pottery Today

The Business Was Located a Few Blocks from the City's Waterfront and Docks

Photo Courtesy: Google Maps

There is still so-much to be learned about the pottery produced by the Dodge family in Portland. There are a small number of stamped pots known today with the impressed mark 'B DODGE / PORTLAND' that reside in private collections and museum holdings; however, beyond that not a lot of information is known. 

The following pot is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City - it is attributed to Portland, Maine; although, no specific potter's name or potter's business is cited. It appears to be a skillfully made ovoid pitcher that has been colorfully glazed (possibly a water pitcher like that cited above) with wavy and straight incised line decoration around the top half of the object. Could this pitcher be another example of pottery made in Portland? Could this pot help expand the limited knowledge of what is perceived as products from the Dodge Pottery today? Unfortunately, I am not aware how the museum determined its attribution.

Here is the link to the pitcher on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website.

 19th Century Red Earthenware Ovoid Pitcher Attributed to Portland, ME

Ca. 1800-1830

Stands 5 3/4" Tall

Measures 6 1/4" Wide

Interesting Incised Decorated Around the Top Half of the Pot

Wonderful Variegated Green Glaze On Top of an Algae Colored Glaze

Donated to the Museum as Part of the Rogers Fund in 1913

Photo Courtesy: The Metropolitan Museum of Art - NY, NY

A Closer Look at the Pot

Photo Courtesy: The Metropolitan Museum of Art - NY, NY

A Pot Worth Discussing

Historic New England owns the following tin-glazed jar that is attributed to the Dodge Pottery in Portland; however, I am rather confused with how I should interpret it. The form appears to be drawn from an Asian influence.

The jar was donated to the museum as part of the Margaret Jewel Collection decades ago. Miss Jewel is known today to have conducted research into the Dodge Pottery, but I am not sure what entailed her research - and, how deeply she was involved with it.

According to the museum - the jar was made by the elder, Benjamin Dodge. This wouldn't be the first instance of a traditional American utilitarian potter applying a tin glaze to their wares, but it would be among the first I have heard of in New England. For example, John Bell is known to have sparingly applied these kind of glazes to some products made in Pennsylvania in the 1800's. In this case, the product appears like it could be an attempt at art pottery. I guess it is feasible since there were both stoneware and red earthenware businesses known in Portland in the 1800's. Oddly, the museum attributes this jar to a twentieth-century period of 1900 to 1933. I wonder if this is a typo by the museum - and, instead they meant '1800-1833.' Honestly, I have no idea if the attribution is correct or not. Interpretations and opinions are more than welcome for this piece! If proven true, the idea of a local tin glazed ware made in Portland, Maine would be a significant discovery. What do you think?

Here is the link to the jar on Historic New England's website.

Purportedly Dodge Pottery Tin Glazed Jar - Portland, ME

Stands 3 1/2" Tall

Miss Margaret Jewell Collection

Photo Courtesy: Historic New England - Boston, MA

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...