A few days ago, I wrote, "Born in Hagerstown, Maryland, John Bell learned the potter's trade from his father Peter Bell (1775-1847), and he later emerged as one of America's preeminent red earthenware and stoneware potters in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania in the nineteenth century. In many ways, his techniques and innovative glazes are among the best produced during the period; many scholars even refer to much of Bell's red earthenware production as the best in America.
Upon Bell's death in 1880, his son John W. Bell (1828-1895), who worked for his father for many years, gained ownership of the pottery, and operated the Waynesboro business in its final years of operation from 1881 until his death in 1895. The business eventually caught fire and burned in 1899."
As I wrote last week, I visited the Renfrew Museum in Waynesboro, in order to view the museum's collection of more than 200 pieces of red earthenware and stoneware associated with the Bell family's pottery production in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia in the 1800s. However, before I post that I article this week, I want to show the site of the pottery as it appears today, located about one mile from the museum in downtown Waynesboro.
There is nothing left to see from the pottery's operation, but it is still exciting to stand at this location, knowing that such an incredible amount of red earthenware and stoneware was manufactured here. The site is now the location of a parking lot and a restaurant called Waynesburgers.
I admit that I did quickly scan the area for any exposed sherds, but I could not find anything; I expect that this archaeological evidence left the area long ago. But in retrospect, the history of this corner is really amazing, and as one person at the Renfrew Museum said to me, "The Bells really put the town of Waynesboro on the map. This is what we are most famous for today."
The Site of John Bell's Pottery in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
The Site of John Bell's Pottery in Waynesboro, PA
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The Site of John Bell's Pottery in Waynesboro, PA
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The Site of John Bell's Pottery in Waynesboro, PA
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The Site of John Bell's Pottery in Waynesboro, PA
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The Site of John Bell's Pottery in Waynesboro, PA
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The Site of John Bell's Pottery in Waynesboro, PA
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The Site of John Bell's Pottery in Waynesboro, PA
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Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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