Some Red Earthenware Artifacts Recovered from a Circa 1810-1865 Homestead Site Near Buffalo, New York

This is some more information that will be published as part of my forthcoming two-volume Western New York book, titled, America's Great Awakening and Migration: The Red Earthenware of Western New York, whereas I have been working with the University of Buffalo Archaeological Survey on some of the red earthenware recovered in the area. For instance, these red earthenware sherds were recovered by archaeologists from an early-mid nineteenth century farmstead in the Lancaster and Alden, New York area in the early 2000s, known as the Dirschberger Site (UB 3096, NYSM 11061, A02901.000039), circa 1810-1865. This site is located about fifteen miles to the east of Buffalo.

Previous information has suggested that the slip decorated sherds may have originated at the circa 1818-1831 Nathaniel Rochester (1752-1831) Pottery in West Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York, which is certainly possible, seeing that Buffalo and Rochester, New York were connected by way of the Erie Canal, beginning in the fall of 1825. Nathaniel Rochester was also living in Rochester, New York during this period, while owning his pottery business twenty or so miles to the south in West Bloomfield. I also want to note that the slip decorated objects recovered at this site seem to have originated at the same business.

According to the archaeology report, "These artifacts were recovered as part of a highway reconstruction and realignment project on Genesee Street (NY Route 33) straddling the border between Alden and Lancaster, New York. During excavations, archaeologists collected several slip-trailed red earthenware vessels decorated in a similar style to known examples collected during the Rochester Museum & Science Center’s circa 1973 excavation of the Nathaniel Rochester Pottery in West Bloomfield, New York (Hayes 1974:13-14)."

However, recent research has also identified that there were a number of potters working in the Buffalo area, many of whom were migrant red earthenware potters from Germany, such as the Betz family, who established their business about 1850 or earlier. It is possible that some of this production may represent red earthenware manufactured in the Buffalo area before 1865; I also feel that red earthenware production in Buffalo (and elsewhere in Erie County) is a subject that has been largely overlooked in publication: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2025/01/a-group-of-potteries-operated-by.html.

Artifacts Recovered from a Circa 1810-1865 Homestead Site Near Buffalo, N.Y.

Pages 346-352 in Forthcoming Two-Volume Western New York Book

This is About Some Artifacts Recovered Near Buffalo

This is Included as Part of Volume I

See Above for More Information

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