Forthcoming Published Book on the Colonial Pottery Industry in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Circa 1635-1775

When I established this website more than eight years ago, my original intent was to share some of my research about the Colonial pottery industry in Charlestown, Massachusetts, circa 1635-1775. My ultimate goal was to write a book about this industry, but back then the idea of writing such a book seemed like a huge amount of work because so much information about this industry was unknown, especially where the pottery was shipped, excluding the Boston area.

I am really excited  to announce that I have finally finished a book about this industry that will be published later this year. The title of the book is, The Dawn of Independence, the Death of An Industry: The Pottery of Charlestown, Massachusetts. This book will be published as part of my publication series with Historic Beverly in Beverly, Massachusetts. In the meantime, I have another book that will be published by Historic Beverly later this month or next, titled, The Moses B. Paige Company: The Last of the Peabody Potteries. This book is a continuation of another book I wrote that was published last year, The Beverly Pottery: The Wares of Charles A. Lawrence. 

Nevertheless, I am thrilled over this Charlestown book, and it would not have been possible without the advice of Portsmouth, New Hampshire antiques dealer, Hollis Brodrick, and the constant generosity of Boston City Archaeologist, Joe Bagley who was always willing to work with me and kindly gave me access to his collections and archaeology digs.

Here is an overview of the book: The seventeenth and eighteenth century red earthenware industry in Charlestown, Massachusetts supplied households throughout coastal New England with everyday utilitarian wares, circa 1635-1775. The industry was unsurpassed in Colonial New England with production recovered from archaeological contexts as far north as Canada and as far south as the Carolinas. Dozens of potters and a number of businesses made up this industry, where the most prominent years of production happened during the 1740-1775 period. There was even an attempt to produce stoneware in the 1740s in competition to what was already manufactured in New York City, Philadelphia and Virginia. However, the identity of this industry was completely destroyed on the morning of June 17, 1775, when the British burned the town to the ground at the Battle of Bunker Hill. More than 200 years later, the identity of this industry resurfaced when archaeologists excavated part of Charlestown on behalf of Boston's Big Dig Project. These important artifacts have helped provide a better understanding of how far Charlestown's pottery traveled before 1775. This book is the first of its kind, exploring the history of Charlestown's industry, the identity of the pottery, the exports and its historical significance.

The Dawn of Independence, the Death of an Industry: The Pottery of Charlestown, Massachusetts

Manuscript for Forthcoming Published Book

The Dawn of Independence, the Death of an Industry: The Pottery of Charlestown, Massachusetts

Will be Published Later this Year as Part of Book Series with Historic Beverly

See Article for More Information

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