19th Century Remains Recovered at a Potter's Business in North Yarmouth, Maine

Yesterday, I was fortunate to review some of the artifacts, which had been recovered by Gorham, Maine antiques collector, Christopher Havey at the site of this potter's business in North Yarmouth, Maine in the late-twentieth-century. Luckily, he saved these artifacts when this area was developed in the 1990's, where this information would have been lost forever. I have not been able to name this potter's business, yet, even though the location of this early-twentieth-century photograph is known today, which shows the remains of a huge bottle-style kiln, a potter's wheel and piles of kiln waste.

This is some of the information that I was able to gather from the artifacts:

1) A Green-Glaze: There was a green-glaze recovered at the site of this pottery, which was found on a variety of sherds. However, the most interesting object decorated with this green-glaze was a flower pot sherd. It is documented today that the nineteenth-century Dodge Pottery in Portland, Maine produced a similar green-glaze that was often applied to flower pots. I bet if this flower pot sherd were found whole today that it would be attributed to the Dodge Pottery.

2) A 'Lazy' Wavy Incised Line: I also found a number of sherds decorated with what I call a "lazy" wavy incised line that appears to have often been applied on the rim, but it is also found elsewhere on sherds. There was even a milk pan sherd, where this type of incised line had been applied to the back of the pan.

I have also included sherds from a beautifully decorated pan, which were recovered in a nineteenth-century archaeological context on Deer Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with a similar 'lazy' wavy incised line, which was applied on the rim. I would not be surprised to learn that this pan was made in North Yarmouth since the Deer Street archaeology collection includes other red earthenware objects that are attributed to Maine today.

This pan was also entirely glazed on the interior, exterior and base. Objects that have been entirely glazed have also been linked to the North Yarmouth potter's industry. The Yarmouth, Maine Historical Society also owns a wonderful jug that displays this type of glaze, but they also own a similar formed pan. Both of these objects owned by the historical society are attributed to specific potter's businesses in North Yarmouth.

3) A Black-Glazed Teapot Spout: A teapot spout was found at the site of this pottery, but I do not know how to really interpret it since black-glazed teapots have never been attributed to the Maine potter's industry before. It certainly looks American-made to me. I should also mention that black-glazes were popular with the potters in North Yarmouth; I have seen many black-glazed sherds from forms, such as jugs and bowls. Although, I suspect that this may have been made at the Thomas Crafts Pottery in Whately, Massachusetts, circa 1821-1833. This was a popular form of production at this potter's business during this period.

4) A Familiar Glaze: Sherds were also found decorated with a style of manganese glaze that is commonly attributed to the nineteenth-century Corliss Pottery in Days Ferry, Woolwich, Maine today. Seeing this was definitely interesting.

Note: The glaze on these sherds are also similar to the glaze found on the pan recovered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

5) A Beautiful Glaze: A wonderful lemon-yellow-glaze was also found at the site of this potter's business. I have not seen this type of distinct lemon-yellow-glaze before.

6) A Round Footed Base: I have found that a number of the bases recovered on products tied to North Yarmouth, Maine were made with either no foot, a rounded foot or a squared foot. The jug bases found on the sherds that I reviewed at this specific potter's business were made with a round footed base (but there may be exceptions that I have not seen from this business). The bases that I saw reminded me of some of the round bases found in Essex County, Massachusetts in the late-eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries; however, they were not quite as large.

Kiln from a Potter's Business in North Yarmouth, ME

North Yarmouth, ME Potter's Business with a Bottle-Style Kiln

I Have Not Been Able to Identify this Potter's Business, Yet

But Its Location is Known

All of the Following Artifacts were Recovered at the Site of this Kiln

Unfortunately this Location is Completely Developed Today

Photo Taken Circa 1910

Photo Courtesy: Yarmouth, ME Historical Society

Kiln Furniture

Kiln Furniture Recovered at the Site of this Potter's Business

Kiln Wasters

Wasters Recovered at the Site of this Potter's Business

Red Earthenware Sherds

Sherds Recovered at the Site of this Potter's Business

A Green Glaze

19th Century Green-Glazed Flower Pot Sherd

Recovered at the Site of the North Yarmouth, ME Potter's Business Shown Above

This Type of Green-Glazed Flower Pot Would Probably be Attributed to Portland, ME Today

There were a Variety of Sherds with this Type of Green-Glaze

View of the Base

A 'Lazy' Wavy Incised Line

19th Century Red Earthenware Sherds Decorated with a 'Lazy Wavy Incised Line

Recovered at the Site of the North Yarmouth, ME Potter's Business Shown Above

The Remains of this Rim Show this 'Lazy' Wavy Incised Line

 Recovered at the Site of the North Yarmouth, ME Potter's Business Shown Above

 19th Century Milk Pan Sherd Decorated on the Back with a 'Lazy' Wavy Incised Line

Recovered at the Site of the North Yarmouth, ME Potter's Business Shown Above

19th Century Red Earthenware Sherds Recovered on Deer Street in Portsmouth, NH

Found in a 19th Century Archaeology Context

The Rim is Decorated with a Similar 'Lazy' Wavy Incised Line

See Article for More Information

View of the Back of the Sherds
This Pan was Entirely Glazed on the Interior, Exterior and Base
Similar Glazes are Attributed to North Yarmouth by the Yarmouth Historical Society
The Yarmouth Historical Society also Owns a Similar Formed Pan
Photo Courtesy: Strawbery Banke Archaeology Department - Portsmouth, NH
See Article for More Information

Black-Glazed Teapot Spout

19th Century Black-Glazed Teapot Spout

Recovered at the Site of the North Yarmouth, ME Potter's Business Shown Above

Possibly Made at the Thomas Crafts Pottery in Whately, MA
See Article for More Information

Although Black-Glazes were Popular with the Potter's in North Yarmouth, ME

 Another View of the Spout
See Article for More Information

A John Corliss Pottery-Type Glaze

(Middle) 19th Century Sherd Decorated with Manganese

Recovered at the Site of the North Yarmouth, ME Potter's Business Shown Above

There were a Number of Sherds Decorated with this Type of Glaze

This Type of Glaze is Usually Attributed to the John Corliss Pottery in Days Ferry, ME Today

A Lemon-Yellow-Glaze

This Beautiful Lemon-Yellow-Glaze was Also Found Throughout the Sherds

Recovered at the Site of the North Yarmouth, ME Potter's Business Shown Above

This is an Incredible Glaze!

A Round Footed Base

19th Century Red Earthewnare Jug Sherd with a Round Footed Base

Recovered at the Site of the North Yarmouth, ME Potter's Business Shown Above
See Article for More Information

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