An Excerpt from My Forthcoming Hartford, Connecticut Area Book

My forthcoming sixth book in my New England pottery book series published through Historic Beverly in Beverly, Massachusetts, titled, A City on the River: The Early Red Earthenware of the Hartford, Connecticut Area is complete - it runs just about 475 pages, and covers quite a bit of material, ranging from all local red earthenware production from 1770 through the early 1900s, as well as lots of archaeology from potter's sites, museum pieces, signed pottery and a lot of exciting pottery recovered from other archaeological contexts within the states' Connecticut River Region. In fact, the beginning of the book demonstrates how the domestic red earthenware found in various nineteenth century archaeological contexts in the Connecticut River Region are very similar to some wares found in New York City during the same period. Both areas saw a large amount of wares imported from all over Connecticut, as well as New York (although New York City also saw wares shipped from places elsewhere in the region).

Nevertheless, this is an excerpt from my book that I feel is significant, seeing I have always wondered why the early wares made by Nathaniel Seymour (1763-1849) and Seth Goodwin (1772-1828), who stablished the Goodwin family legacy in Hartford, shared an appearance to red earthenware produced in coastal Massachusetts during the same period. And I may have an answer for that!

"Ebenezer Faxon (1749-1811) was born in Braintree, Massachusetts on December 12, 1749, although he removed to West Hartford, Connecticut on January 6, 1772. His role in the pottery industry is largely unknown today, but he is regarded as having moved to Hartford in order to establish a red earthenware business, utilizing the rich clay in the city’s Elmwood/West Hartford section. Opportunities presented by the city’s proximity to the Connecticut River also probably contributed to his decision to relocate.

Interestingly, though, how he learned to manufacture pottery is a big question, seeing that he did not just establish a company without having previous experience in the pottery industry. The fact that he was born in Braintree and lived there in his early years may indicate that he also worked at a pottery in that community or nearby, and it just so happens that one of New England’s most prominent potters operated a business in Braintree in the 1760s and the 1770s, which was none other than Peter Clark (1743-1826). Clark and his family are also responsible for much of the red earthenware industry that existed in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire and the Concord, New Hampshire area, circa 1775-1880s. Although, John Henry Benner (1728-1796) is also another possibility, who owned and operated a business during this period in Abington, Massachusetts. 

It is notable too that Clark’s mother came from the Faxon family of Braintree, born Anna Faxon about 1722.  Clark was also related to Faxon through marriage where they shared a few siblings. This may help explain why so much of the known early red earthenware produced in the Harford area during the circa 1790-1840 period very much looks like wares manufactured in coastal Massachusetts in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. In fact, before Clark established his business in Braintree, he was an Essex County, Massachusetts trained potter, where the wares he made in New Hampshire also largely appeared like wares from coastal Massachusetts. If Faxon did train under Clark, then this would have been the background  he brought with him to Hartford, and then possibly one way or another, he may have had some influence on potters like Nathaniel Seymour and Seth Goodwin. Of course, without more evidence, this idea about Faxon’s influence is in theory, although, it certainly should be taken into strong consideration" And then from here - a lot more information about Faxon is discussed in the book.

The book also shows a number of examples of wares made at the Nathaniel Seymour Pottery, as well as some incredible previously unpublished objects attributed to Seth Goodwin with strong histories of ownership in the Hartford area.

Note: The book also covers some of the area's stoneware production and also shows some of the archaeology from the site of the Pitkin Glassworks in East Hartford, Connecticut, as well as lots of other information.

Two 19th Century Red Earthenware Jars Made in West Hartford, Connecticut

My Niece Alexis Holding a 19th Century Red Earthenware Jar Attributed to West Hartford, CT

It is Attributed to the Thomas O'Hara Goodwin (1796-1880) Pottery

Thomas O'Hara Trained Under His Father Seth Goodwin

See Article for More Information

19th Century Red Earthenware Jar from West Hartford, CT

Impressed "T.O. GOODWIN"

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Connecticut Historical Society

Another View of the "T.O. GOODWIN" Mark

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Connecticut Historical Society

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