EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: 19th Century Red Earthenware Bowl Found Near Niagara Falls Possibly Returns to its Place of Manufacture in Morganville, New York

Friday, August 30, 2019

19th Century Red Earthenware Bowl Found Near Niagara Falls Possibly Returns to its Place of Manufacture in Morganville, New York

According to the Genesee Country Village and Museum in Mumford, New York, "Fortunatus Gleason, Jr., and his son, Charles Gleason, operated the Morganville Pottery in Stafford Township, Genesee County, New York, until about the time of the Civil War. By then, most of the rural red earthenware potteries had succumbed to competition from the larger stoneware factories, but the Morganville Pottery turned away from jugs and jars, concentrating on earthenware flowerpots and drain tiles for which there was sufficient demand. Through a succession of family related potters, the Morganville operation survived into the twentieth century.

Excavations at the Morganville site by the Rochester Museum and Science Center in 1973 uncovered the building's foundations as well as the floors of two kilns, one inside and one outside of the building. Also found were quantities of earthenware fragments which have helped to identify and document surviving examples or Morganville pottery."

Once the archaeological excavations were finalized in 1973, the site of the Morganville Pottery was then placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Furthermore, archaeologist and museum specialist, George Hamell wrote about this pottery in an archaeology report published in 1980 in Northeast Historical Archaeology, titled, Earthenwares and Salt-Glazed Stonewares of the Rochester-Genesee Valley Region: An Overview: "It has been suggested that Charles Gleason took over the pottery operation in Morganville in 1845, when he purchased the lot, on which the pottery was later known to have been located, from his uncle, Wilson Gleason, then a resident of Westmoreland, New Hampshire. Wilson Gleason had acquired the lot in 1837 from Fortunatus Gleason, Jr., his brother and the father of Charles Gleason - and that Charles Gleason had begun the manufacture of earthenware by 1846 is now confirmed.

It has been thought that Charles Gleason's father had established the pottery at Morganville in 1828-29. Fortunatus, Jr., like his brother Lyman, had moved to Morganville from the family home in New Hampshire. There is circumstantial evidence that there was a pottery in operation in Morganville at least by 1835. However, Charles cannot be identified in the documents as a potter before 1846, nor can his father before 1850. Recent information, however, provides circumstantial evidence for Lyman Gleason's possible involvement in the Morganville Pottery prior to 1846.

Lyman and his write, Priscilla, had moved to Morganville in 1827, and remained residents of the community through the 1830s, but by August 1840 they had become residents of Leroy, Genesee County. His occupation is unknown, although there is some suggestion in the deed records of his involvement in milling. However, by the late 1840s, Lyman and his wife had moved to Paris, Brant County, Ontario, Canada, where he established a pottery. According to the 1851 census, the pottery was "...new to this place" and the census taker went on to note "what the cause (is) I do not know, but the ware has not the finish on it that imported goods have." Gleason's Paris, Ontario pottery closed in 1857."

While vacationing a few weeks ago in western New York with my nephew, Jason and niece, Alexis, we found this finely thrown nineteenth century red earthenware bowl with two handles near Niagara Falls. It was found alongside a nineteenth century earthenware jar from Ontario that was likely made to resemble stoneware.

Our feeling is that this bowl may have been made in Morganville; we decided to photograph it along the Niagara River. Afterwards, we brought it to the site of the Morganville Pottery, possibly returning home to its place of manufacture in the 1800s.

Red Earthenware Bowl Found Near Niagara Falls