Our First Visit in 2015 to the Merrimack River in Merrimacport, Massachusetts in Search of Artifacts Related to an Important Potter's Business from the 18th and 19th Centuries

After a tough winter that many of us experienced this year - I figured there would be a number of artifacts that may have emerged in Merrimacport, Massachusetts, where the important eighteenth and nineteenth-century potter, William Pecker made red earthenware and stoneware (ca. 1790-1820) adjacent to the Merrimack River. This waterway was undoubtedly employed by Pecker - and, any of his workers to transport wares to places like Newburyport, Massachusetts and the small communities in the area that bordered the river. I've been contemplating visiting the area for the past few weeks in hopes that I may find some new discoveries and insights into Pecker's operation. After Pecker's death in 1820, the Merrimacport tradition carried on through his nephew, James Chase - along with his family into the 1880's; however, I firmly believe that the precise area that I have discovered is likely the place of Pecker's operation based on the kind of evidence that I have discovered in the past year.

Two days ago (Wednesday), my eleven-year-old nephew, Jason and I were collecting broken sewer tile from the early-twentieth-century along the Merrimack River in Newburyport for a garden that we are currently building in the front of my house in Newburyport - when we noticed that it was low tide. I figured this would be a great opportunity to see if anything new had materialized on the shore of the Merrimack River over the winter - my reasoning behind this thought is that it appears Pecker dumped some of his kiln waste into the river, while bad coastal storms have caused erosion in recent years that have forced some damage to the local land in Merrimacport pulling previously hidden sherds and related artifacts from the land into the river and along the shoreline.

We didn't spend a lot of time searching the shoreline for artifacts yesterday; although, I would say we probed the area for a solid half-hour. Surprisingly, there was not a lot of new discoveries to be found, which is contradictory to some of our previous visits. I had thought that all of the winter storms from a few months ago would have forced new evidence from Pecker's operation onto the shore. Rather, it's possibly that the storms may have actually further hidden a lot of that evidence. None-the-less, we did find a small collection that I would like to share today.

 My 11-Year-Old Nephew, Jason Peers Out at the Merrmack River in Merrimacport, Mass.

At Least Three Potter's Businesses Are Known to Have Made Wares in this Area

Bodge Pottery: Before 1790

William Pecker Pottery: Ca. 1790-1820

Chase Family Pottery: Ca. 1820-1880's

 Shoreline of the Merrimack River in Merrimacport, Mass.

  Shoreline of the Merrimack River in Merrimacport, Mass.

  Shoreline of the Merrimack River in Merrimacport, Mass.

  Shoreline of the Merrimack River in Merrimacport, Mass.

My 11-Year-Old Nephew, Jason and Our Bags of Artifacts

Red Bag: Redware

Blue Bag: Stoneware

We did find a few more examples of evidence (kiln furniture) of Pecker's stoneware production in Merrimacport, which will be added to the dozens-and-dozens of examples that we have already discovered. We also found a few plainly decorated salt-glazed sherds - unfortunately, none of these are as exciting as some of the cobalt decorated and incised sherds that we have found in the past - even though, this is still important evidence of a stoneware production that is still under investigation today.

 Stoneware Kiln Furniture Recovered in Merrimacport, MA

Stoneware Sherds Recovered in Merrimacport, MA

Naturally, the Pecker Pottery is almost entirely known for its red earthenware production today - so, it wouldn't have been a complete visit to Merrimacport if we didn't bring home a few red earthenware sherds. As far as I can see - none of these glazes have ever been attributed to Pecker today. The understanding of Pecker's palette of glaze colors is rather limited today despite sherd evidence that reveals he experimented with upwards of twenty-or-more decorative colors.

Red Earthenware Shers Recovered in Merrimacport, MA

Unusual Glaze Colors for What is Known Today for Merrimacport, MA Products

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