EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: An Introductory Article: Phineas Chase's Red Earthenware Pottery in Merrimacport, Massachusetts

Sunday, August 19, 2018

An Introductory Article: Phineas Chase's Red Earthenware Pottery in Merrimacport, Massachusetts

I wrote a feature story for the October 2014 edition of the New England Antiques Journal, entitled, "Utilitarian Redware in Massachusetts: The Chase Family Pottery." The story gave an overview of the Chase family pottery in Merrimacport (formerly West Amesbury), Massachusetts, which proceeded William Pecker's related circa 1790-1820 red earthenware and stoneware business.

But I only touched upon the Chase family's production from the late 1800s since there is no archaeology known today, and it also appears to have been a business that Massachusetts author Lura Woodside Watkins did not devote a lot of material to in Early New England Potters and Their Wares.

However, the book, History of Amesbury: Including the First Seventeen Years of Salisbury, to the Separation in 1654, and Merrimac, from Its Incorporation in 1876, which was first published in 1880 seems to tell a different tale indicating that Phineas Chase's pottery was in fact a regularly active company during this later period: "Mr. Phineas Chase continues the manufacture of earthen ware, which his father commenced (James Chase) more than a half century ago (circa 1820) at the Merrimack River.

Watkins does cite Phineas' business, which she indicates was moved from his father's property adjacent to the Merrimack River to Phineas's house, "At some time before 1863, Phineas moved the works to his own land at the top of the hill on the road leading up from the river. John Donovan, a traveling potter who worked at Moses Paige's pottery in Peabody, recalled his producing a green glaze. Not very much is known about Phineas' activities, except that pieces of Chase pottery from this later period are frequently encountered about the country."

Watkins also wrote that some artistic pottery, such as painted vases were manufactured in Merrimacport, "The trend towards bric-a-brac may be observed at other redware potters that were running in the 1870s and 1880s. At Exeter, at Merrimacport, at Keene, and at Concord, terra-cotta vases, ewers, and knickknacks were substituted for the heavy kitchenware of early manufacture."

Phineas' pottery is also listed in the 1884 Essex County, Massachusetts Directory, alongside two major companies for the area - Moses Paige's Pottery in Peabody (formerly South Danvers), Massachusetts and Charles A. Lawrence's Pottery in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Nevertheless, I am going to be working with the current property owners of Phineas' house in order to salvage as many artifacts as possible that relate to his business. The property owners have some construction planned for next year, and before that happens, I have been given permission to collect as much material as I can find. For example, I spent yesterday afternoon investigating this nearly two acre estate, and I found kiln furniture, wasters, sherds and what I believe to be an actual kiln brick.

While it appears that the remains of the kiln and waste pile may be long gone, there still appears to be a significant amount of kiln debris scattered throughout property. I even found a bright green glazed crimped rim sherd from a flowerpot that appears to be the same green glaze Watkins learned about from John Donovan. This will also be an ongoing project that I will continue to write about this summer and fall.

I should also note that the property originally included Phineas' potter's shed, which I assume stored his pottery, and is likely also where he threw his wares. This shed had survived until recently, when it was taken down because of its condition. But the family has many photographs showing how this shed looked - I would also compare this structure to the shed found on the property of John Corliss' business in Days Ferry, Woolwich, Maine, which has been widely published by the Maine State Museum in Augusta, Maine.

Phineas Chase Billhead from the 1880s