A 19th Century Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug Decorated with a Civil War Soldier Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX / HARRISBURG, PA"

As I noted in a post from earlier this week, "The auction record for a piece of stoneware made at the pottery factory of Cowden and Wilcox in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is a jug decorated with a Civil War soldier in cobalt, which sold at Crocker Farm in October of 2014 for $97,500 including the buyer's premium. However, the most expensive piece of Harrisburg stoneware to ever sell bears a different stamp, reading, "WM. MOYER / HARRISBURG PA," which also set an auction record for Pennsylvania stoneware when it sold at Crocker Farm in the spring of 2022 for $144,000 including the buyer's premium: https://www.crockerfarm.com/stoneware-auction/2022-04-08/lot-37/Exceedingly-Rare-and-Important-WM-MOYER-HARRISBURG-PA-Stoneware-Pedestal-Water-Cooler/.

Nonetheless, John Wallace Cowden (1817-1872) and Isaac Wilcox (1831-1906) initially established and ran the Cowden & Wilcox pottery in Harrisburg, although the company was also known as C.W. Pottery. The factory was a ceramic manufacturing company that was established in 1861, after Harrisburg was incorporated as a city on March 19, 1860, whereas the factory produced pottery until about 1923. This business mostly produced stoneware, but they also made some red earthenware, where production from this company was distributed locally, although it was also marketed in parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Interestingly, I thought these before and after cleaning pictures from years ago of the Cowden & Wilcox Civil War soldier jug were noteworthy in sharing; in fact, it was noted by Crocker Farm in 2014, "John Cowden's son, the potter, Frederick Cowden, served in the Civil War in the 201st Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry C. It is possible that the design was related to Frederick's involvement in the war, or possibly represents a portrait of the man himself." However, recent research has also determined that there were other employees working at the Cowden & Wilcox factory, who also served in the Civil War.

Note: This is not the only stoneware jug from Pennsylvania depicting a Civil War soldier; a jug was consigned to Weiss Auctions in New York in the summer of 2023 that is stamped "M. & T. MILLER / NEWPORT, PA," and decorated with three Civil War soldiers, perhaps representing members of the Miller family, such as Michael and/or Theophilus Miller. The jug did not meet the reserve, although it just sold in Crocker Farm's most recent sale for $22,800 including the buyer's premium: https://www.crockerfarm.com/stoneware-auction/2024-07-26/lot-347/Exceedingly-Rare-M-T-MILLER-NEWPORT-PA-Stoneware-Jug-w-Civil-War-Soldiers-Decoration/.

Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug Decorated with a Civil War Soldier

19th Century Two-Gallon Stoneware Jug Decorated with a Civil War Soldier

Stamped "COWDEN & WILCOX / HARRISBURG, PA"

Circa 1865

Stands 13 1/2" Tall

These are Before and After Cleaning Pictures

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Richard Hume Sr.

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