The Story of Three Surviving Related Red Earthenware Jars

Only three examples of these rare nineteenth century red earthenware jars are known to exist today, likely having been manufactured in the Danvers and Salem, Massachusetts area. Two are held in private New England collections, with the example on the left boasting a lengthy and documented history of ownership by a single family on Boston's historic Beacon Hill. The third surviving example is preserved publicly by Historic Deerfield. 

All three of these remarkable objects will be featured and analyzed in Chapter 19 of my forthcoming tenth book. This two-volume work spans over 1,900 pages and is titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts. Stay tuned for more updates as the official publication date draws near!

These are Two of Three Related Red Earthenware Jars

Example to the Left Retains Family History on Beacon Hill in Boston

All Likely Made in the Danvers and Salem, Mass. Area

See Above for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Private Collections

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

A Historic Connection: Celebrated Charlestown Pot Featured in Upcoming Tenth Book

An exceptional eighteenth century slip decorated red earthenware pot with its original lid from Charlestown, Massachusetts, will receive a significant amount of attention in my new two-volume tenth book, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts. Running two volumes and packing more than 1,900 pages, this new study dives deep into regional pottery history, spanning the seventeenth to the twentieth century. 

This specific pot was featured on the cover of my third book, The Dawn of Independence, the Death of an Industry: The Pottery of Charlestown, Massachusetts. Beyond its publication history, the pot has played a vital role in hands-on historical research. In 2014, it was brought to the City of Boston Archaeology Department, where it was directly compared to artifacts recovered in Charlestown during the Big Dig project in the 1980s. The following year, it went on display during a presentation at Historic Eastfield Village’s Ceramic Conference (Dish Camp) in Eastern New York. Today, it stands as one of fewer than ten known examples of Charlestown red earthenware made before the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, to be successfully identified through archaeology.

Now, this remarkable survivor will help bridge the gap between Charlestown and the North Shore of Massachusetts potting traditions in my upcoming tenth book. Stay tuned for more updates as the official publication date draws near!

Link to the Charlestown book: https://historicbeverly.net/product/the-dawn-of-independence-the-death-of-an-industry/.

18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Bowl with its Original Lid

Made in Charlestown, Massachusetts Before 1755

Will be Featured in My Forthcoming Two-Volume, Tenth Book

See Article for More Information

This is My Third Published Book

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

Link: https://historicbeverly.net/product/the-dawn-of-independence-the-death-of-an-industry/

See Article for More Information

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

A Monumental Celebration of Western New York's Red Earthenware History

New York State was a hotspot for historic pottery this weekend! While scholars were busy learning at Dish Camp—a fantastic event held in Eastern New York—there was also a great event taking place in Western New York. Co-sponsored by the LeRoy Historical Society and the Genesee Country Antique Dealers Association, this special regional program brought out a fantastic crowd of about seventy-five collectors and historians. I spoke with Western New York dealer and collector Gene Pratt to share the stage and showcase a spectacular pop-up exhibit. Featuring rare pieces from both private and museum collections, it was easily the largest display of local red earthenware seen in decades, if not longer!

A true highlight of the evening's exhibition was the inclusion of an extraordinary group of red earthenware attributed to the Nathaniel Rochester (1752-1831) Pottery of West Bloomfield, New York. Active during the first quarter of the nineteenth century from circa 1818 to 1831, this short-lived operation produced some of the most spectacularly colorful, slip-decorated red earthenware found anywhere in the state. Because these survivors are exceptionally rare, bringing so many together under one roof was a momentous occasion. In fact, this pop-up display likely represented the largest and most diverse collection of Nathaniel Rochester pottery gathered in a single room since the business was originally operating over two centuries ago!

The event also provided a meaningful opportunity to honor George Hamell. His immense contributions—both in identifying early pottery and through archaeology—laid the foundational groundwork for the modern understanding of Western New York red earthenware. Much of his research materials and artifacts are preserved today in the collections of the Rochester Museum & Science Center.

The night also highlighted my ninth book, America's Great Awakening and Migration: The Red Earthenware of Western New York. This two-volume, 1,400-page project was published in the spring of 2025, and it was incredible to share and discuss the book with the community that made it possible. Key contributors like Gene Pratt and Vince Martonis were there, alongside some of the museums that I have spent the last decade collaborating with on research articles, such as the Das Haus Museum in Niagara County, in preparation for the book.

Nonetheless, for more information about the book (and how to purchase one or both volumes) - see this link: https://historicbeverly.net/product/americas-great-awakening-and-migration-the-red-earthenware-of-western-new-york/.

Western New York Pottery Program that Took Place on Friday June 26

See Article for More Information

Western New York Pottery Program that Took Place on Friday June 26

See Article for More Information

Selection of Nathaniel Rochester Pottery on Display

See Article for More Information

Selection of Nathaniel Rochester Pottery on Display

See Article for More Information

Selection of Nathaniel Rochester Pottery on Display

See Article for More Information

Selection of West Bloomfield Pottery on Display

See Article for More Information

Selection of Alvin Wilcox Pottery on Display

See Article for More Information

Selection of Carl Mehwaldt Pottery on Display

See Article for More Information

Selection of Erie County Pottery on Display

See Article for More Information

Selection of Morganville Pottery on Display

See Article for More Information

Billhead from the Morganville Pottery on Display

See Article for More Information

Selection of Morganville Pottery on Display

See Article for More Information

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

Upcoming Event at the Bidwell House Museum in Western Massachusetts

For anyone interested - I will be speaking later this year at the Bidwell House Museum in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, though the event will actually be taking place at a larger venue. Stay tuned for details. 

The event is scheduled to take place on Wednesday September 23, 2026. It will also be a preview of my forthcoming 700-800 page eleventh book that I have been working on extensively with New York author and historian Warren Broderick, titled, A Monumental History: Stories of Red Earthenware Production in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires and Vermont. This is an overview of the event, although the museum should be announcing the details soon!

"Western Massachusetts has a rich history inhabited by various Native American tribes, which was later settled by English Puritans in places like Springfield, Massachusetts and the Connecticut River Valley Region in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The region also has a history of red earthenware production dating to the 1700s, later followed by stoneware in the 1800s. The most successful type may have been the black glazed teapots produced in Whately, Massachusetts. However, red earthenware production seems to have been more widespread in the 1700s with some production that can be traced back to the Charlestown and South Danvers, Massachusetts areas before the American Revolution.

A significant portion of Western Massachusetts's regional production is also linked to the manufacturing landscape of neighboring Vermont. While some of this regional connection was previously overlooked by historians, recent research has uncovered a bustling network of a few dozen or so red earthenware companies operating throughout Vermont during the late 1700s and 1800s. This newly documented data reshapes the understanding of early New England pottery exchange, revealing how deeply the artisans and economic markets of the two regions were intertwined in the 1800s."

Circa 1820s Black Glazed Red Earthenware Teapot

Attributed to the Thomas Crafts Pottery in Whately, Massachusetts

See Article for More Information

Circa 1830 Red Earthenware Jar Attributed to Addison County, Vermont

See Article for More Information

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

This Friday Night in Western New York!

This Friday night in Western New York! There is going be a ton of great pottery on display, as part of the event. I have also been told that it’s a great venue for this type of event! See below for more information!

This is Information About the Event

This Friday June 26 at 6:30pm!

Early 19th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Shaving Cup

Attributed to the Nathaniel Rochester Pottery in West Bloomfield, New York

Circa 1818-1831

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Gene Pratt

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

New Published Feature Story in Antiques And The Arts Weekly: Cabinet Card Depicting Beverly Pottery Fire Found In Brown Family Estate

My latest feature story is published on pages 42-43 in the current July 3, 2026 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, Cabinet Card Depicting Beverly Pottery Fire Found In Brown Family Estate. 

This is also a subject that will be covered in my forthcoming two-volume, 1,900+ page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts..

Link to a PDF of the story: https://www.academia.edu/169121973/Cabinet_Card_Depicting_Beverly_Pottery_Fire

July 3, 2026 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

This is Page 42

Cabinet Card Depicting Beverly Pottery Fire Found In Brown Family Estate

See Article for More Information

July 3, 2026 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

This is Page 42

Cabinet Card Depicting Beverly Pottery Fire Found In Brown Family Estate

See Article for More Information

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

Kiln Artifacts and Earthenware Sherds from East Dorset, Vermont

The Fenton Pottery in East Dorset, Vermont, was the site of the state's very first salt-glazed stoneware factory. Established by Jonathan Fenton (1766-1851) in 1816 after a move from Dorset Hollow, though he may have continued to rent the Dorset Hollow site well after the sold it in 1810.

The East Dorset kiln produced a variety of utilitarian crocks and jugs. The family business was then passed to Fenton's sons in 1827 and operated until 1832, when the family relocated to Bennington, Vermont. 

Interestingly, there appears to be more to this story, which will be told by Warren Broderick in my forthcoming 700-800 page, eleventh book, titled, A Monumental History: Stories of Red Earthenware Production in Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires and Vermont.

A few days ago at the Walker Homestead Show in Central Massachusetts, Warren showed me some kiln artifacts recovered from the former Fenton Pottery site in East Dorset. Remarkably, these pieces were made from earthenware rather than the typical red earthenware found throughout northern New England. Even more fascinating was a handle and rim sherd that clearly seemed to imitate period stoneware production. This style of mimicking stoneware forms is rare in New England, appearing more frequently in regions like Western New York and Ontario, Canada.

Furthermore, the rim and handle sherds reminded me of a jug my niece and nephew gave me for Christmas in 2020. Although it was found in Maine, I have always suspected its origin was Vermont. The jug is also made from a light colored earthenware and closely matches the distinct clay color of the artifacts recovered in East Dorset. The jug's rim and handle are also similar to the some of the East Dorset sherds.

Early 19th Century Earthenware Artifacts Recovered in East Dorset, Vermont

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Warren Broderick

A View of a Jug Rim Sherd Recovered in East Dorset

This is Imitating Stoneware Jug Forms of the Period

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Warren Broderick

A View of a Jug Handle Sherd Recovered in East Dorset

This also Appears to be Imitating Stoneware Jug Forms of the Period

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Warren Broderick

Large 19th Century Earthenware Jug Probably Made in Vermont

The Form is Imitating Stoneware Production of the Period

See Article for More Information

A View of the Jug's Rim

See Article for More Information

A View of the Handle

See Article for More Information

A View of the Light Colored Earthenware Clay

See Article for More Information

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

A Signed 19th Century Red Earthenware Jar, Possibly from Erie County, New York

While attending the Walker Homestead Show yesterday in Central Massachusetts, a friend acquired a nineteenth century red earthenware jar from the booth of Vermont dealer Cooper O'Connell. The piece had previously sold, as part of the Matt King Estate at Flying Pig Auctions in New Hampshire. What particularly piqued my interest, however, is the signature on its base and a form characteristic of Western New York production.

Specifically, the double-rim—featuring a distinct incised line below the lip—closely matches archaeological fragments recovered during the twentieth century from multiple kiln sites in Erie County, New York. These sites include the Lorenzo Johnson (1821-1893) Pottery in Newstead, as well as a multi-owner pottery operation in Millgrove.

Given the heavy nineteenth century German migration to this region, the unrecorded inscription on the base may represent a lesser-known immigrant potter rather than one of the area's prominent, established manufacturers.

Nonetheless, for more information - see my recently published two-volume, 1,400-page, ninth book, titled, America's Great Awakening and Migration: The Red Earthenware of Western New York: https://historicbeverly.net/product/americas-great-awakening-and-migration-the-red-earthenware-of-western-new-york/.

19th Century Red Earthenware Jar Probably Made in Western New York

Possibly from Erie County, New York

The Base is Signed with an Inscribed Name, Possibly German in Origin

See Article for More Information

A View of the Inscribed Name on the Base

See Article for More Information

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

An Artifact of an Elite Merchant: Analyzing the Wentworth Chamber Pot

During my recent talk at Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, an eighteenth century slip decorated red earthenware chamber pot drew significant attention. This American-made piece—crafted either locally or by a Massachusetts potter—was previously featured in a temporary exhibition at the Portsmouth Historical Society fifteen years ago. Its history traces back to property once owned by Colonel Joshua Wentworth (1740-1809), where archaeologists originally recovered the artifact from a privy.

Here is a brief history of the site: Colonel Joshua Wentworth was a wealthy merchant and a soldier during the Revolutionary War. Around 1770, he built a large mansion on Hanover Street in Portsmouth. In 1973, the city wanted to tear the house down to build new buildings. To save the house, a local businessman put the entire 190-ton home onto a flat boat and floated it down the river to a new neighborhood. However, when the house was moved, its old backyard and underground spaces were left behind.

In 2011, builders started working on a massive new apartment and shopping complex where the house used to stand. Before they could build, an archaeologist named Dr. Kathleen Wheeler searched the dirt. She discovered Colonel Wentworth's old privy, which is a historic outdoor toilet. In the 1700s, people used their outdoor toilets as trash cans. Because everything was buried for over 200 years, the privy acted like a time capsule. It was filled with valuable broken dishes, old food seeds, and animal bones that showed how people of this class-status ate back then. The most amazing discovery was an intact glass wine bottle from 1773 that actually had Wentworth's name stamped right onto it.

----------

Nonetheless, for those interested - these are some of my upcoming talks: 

1) June 26th with Gene Pratt - LeRoy, New York Historical Society

2) This Summer (Date TBA) - Merrimac, Mass. Historical Society

3) September 23rd - Bidwell House in the Berkshires

4) This Fall (Date TBA) - Golden Ball Tavern Museum in Weston, Mass.

5) This Fall with Boston Archaeologist Joe Bagley (Date TBA) - Charlestown, Mass. Historical Society

18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Chamber Pot

Recovered from the Col. Joshua Wentworth Privy in Portsmouth, N.H.

See Article for More Information

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

Beyond Utility: The Meticulous Artistry of a Rare Northeastern Stoneware Jar or Vase

This is a really good piece of artistic stoneware made somewhere in the American Northeast, such as New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania during the second-half of the nineteenth century. The blue cobalt was applied in a repeating, textured pattern that looks like fish scales or a honeycomb. By intentionally leaving part of the vase undecorated, the surrounding blue borders frame a simple, four-lobed flower or cross.

This intricate decoration would have taken significantly longer to execute than the traditional designs typically found on nineteenth century stoneware. Most utilitarian jugs and crocks from this era were decorated for speed and efficiency, with the potter using a paintbrush to quickly freehand a simple blue bird, a flower, or capacity number on the front in a matter of seconds. In contrast, this jar required a slow, highly meticulous multi-step process where the artisan had to carefully dab the cobalt slip hundreds of times in neat, overlapping rows to establish the uniform fish-scale texture.

Additionally, this is one of only a few objects known from this manufacturer today, where the last example sold at Crocker Farm in Maryland in Spring 2020: https://www.crockerfarm.com/stoneware-auction/2020-03-21/lot-66/Excellent-Northeastern-Stoneware-Jar-w-Profuse-Cobalt-Decoration/

Nonetheless, this object is currently for sale at Antiques Associates At West Townsend, Massachusetts. Contact them for more information: https://www.aaawt.com/about/

Second-Half of 19th Century Stoneware Jar or Vase

Made in the American Northeast

Meticulously Decorated with Cobalt

Stands 8 1/2" Tall

See Article for More Information

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

Northeastern Stoneware: Now Available in Massachusetts

If anyone is looking for good examples of Vermont, Connecticut and perhaps Massachusetts or New York stoneware, these three pieces are currently for sale at Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Massachusetts.

Left to right, we have: a nineteenth century stoneware churn marked “Nichols & Boynton / Burlington, VT”; a three-gallon stoneware water cooler made in either Massachusetts or New York; and a nineteenth century stoneware crock from Hartford Connecticut marked “Goodwin & Webster."

See these links for more information --

Burlington, VT Churn: https://www.aaawt.com/antique/19th-century-stoneware-churn-marked-nichols-boynton-burlington-vt/

Water Cooler: https://www.aaawt.com/antique/19th-century-stoneware-water-cooler-made-in-massachusetts-or-new-york/

Hartford, CT Jar: https://www.aaawt.com/antique/early-19th-century-stoneware-crock-from-hartford-connecticut/

19th Century Stoneware from the American Northeast

Available in Massachusetts

See Above for More Information

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

Northeastern Red Earthenware: Now Available in Massachusetts

If anyone is looking for very good examples of New England or Western New York red earthenware, these four pieces are currently up for grabs at Antiques Associates at West Townsend, Massachusetts.

Left to right, we have: a nineteenth century jug likely out of New Hampshire; a  late eighteenth or early nineteenth slip-decorated jar from the Hartford, Connecticut area; a nineteenth century Ontario County, New York jar complete with its original lid; and a late eighteenth or early nineteenth century jar from Bristol County, Massachusetts.

See these links for more information --

N.H. Jug: https://www.aaawt.com/antique/redware-jug-new-england-probably-new-hampshire/

Hartford, CT. Area Jar: https://www.aaawt.com/antique/redware-jar-lug-handles-broadly-brushed-slip-decoration/

Western N.Y. Jar: https://www.aaawt.com/antique/glazed-redware-jar-with-lid-western-new-york-probably-alvin-wilcox/

Bristol County, Mass. Jar: https://www.aaawt.com/antique/ovoid-redware-jar-bristol-county-beautiful-glaze/

Late 18th and 19th Century Red Earthenware from the American Northeast

Available in Massachusetts

See Above for More Information

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

From New Hampshire to the Smithsonian: A Tale of Two Red Earthenware Butter Churns

Shown here is a nineteenth-century red earthenware butter churn, complete with its original lid and wooden dasher. I acquired this piece many years ago in New Hampshire. The only other example I have seen is in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. The museum acquired their churn out of Virginia, along with a nineteenth century James River, Virginia stoneware crock, as part of the Mary E. Maxwell Fund in 1974.

Established as a lasting tribute to her legacy, the Mary E. Maxwell Fund is a designated museum endowment used to purchase and preserve historic American artifacts. The fund was created by Miss Mary E. Maxwell (1868-1949), an avid American art collector, world traveler, and dedicated cultural patron active during the early-to-mid twentieth century. Driven by a lifelong passion for global history, Maxwell journeyed extensively to amass an eclectic private collection of rare antiquities, spanning from intricate Southeast Asian musical instruments to delicate Chinese porcelains. In the 1940s, she generously gifted these international treasures to the Smithsonian to ensure their permanent preservation, and upon her passing, her estate finalized the namesake endowment fund.

Today, this vital financial resource allows federal institutions to actively acquire significant pieces of material culture at auctions or from private collections, rather than relying solely on private donations. At the Smithsonian, the fund frequently secures early American utilitarian crafts, such as nineteenth century regional pottery and domestic textile equipment. It is similarly utilized by the National Gallery of Art to expand federal archives with historic American prints, etchings, and engravings, ensuring that Maxwell's passion for preservation continues to safeguard early American decorative arts.

My Dog Jack Pictured with the Butter Churn Found in New Hampshire

Retains Its Original Lid and Wooden Dasher

Matching Example Owned by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

See Article for More Information

19th Century Red Earthenware Butter Churn with Original Lid

Acquired Out of Virginia in 1974

Purchased with a Piece of James River, Virginia Stoneware

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Smithsonian Institute

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

The 75-Gallon Giant: Somerset Pottery Works and the 1893 World's Fair

While red earthenware production in Bristol County, Massachusetts, is included throughout my forthcoming two-volume, 1,900+ page, tenth book—An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts—Chapter 2 of Volume I focuses specifically on this region. A subject briefly included in the chapter is an 1892 newspaper advertisement regarding a monumental, 75-gallon exhibition jar produced by the Somerset Pottery Works of Pottersville. The advertisement reads: "The Somerset Pottery Works of Pottersville has just completed a jar that holds 75 gallons, which they will send to the World's Fair which will be held at Chicago in '92."

This massive vessel was manufactured to showcase New England’s superior stoneware craftsmanship to an international audience at the World’s Columbian Exposition. Although the announcement credits the company as a whole, local historical records and trade tradition identify master turner Charles E. Hathaway (1853-1944) as the elite craftsman who actually threw and shaped the object. Hathaway was widely recognized as one of the few artisans in Bristol County with the skill required to construct a stoneware piece of that immense size without it collapsing on the wheel or cracking inside the kiln. While regional manufacturers spent the entirety of 1892 preparing and shipping their finest showpieces for the fair's May 1893 grand opening, I have found no evidence that this specific jar survives today. Does anyone know if it still exists?

The year after this advertisement ran, the local pottery landscape expanded when William (1860-1946) and Patrick Synan (1858-1924) established the Synan Brothers Pottery in 1893. Operating in Somerset's Pottersville district until 1912, this business was also known for manufacturing large utilitarian objects, such as commercial storage crocks. 

Announcement About a 75-Gallon Stoneware Jar Made in Somerset, Mass.

Produced for the World's Columbian Exposition

See Article for More Information

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

Unearthing the Past: A 1789 Barn Find in Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey

This nineteenth century red earthenware plate was found in a barn in 1955 that was included as part of a 1789 farmhouse (added onto in 1834) in Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey.  Finding this plate likely connects it to one of the early families who lived in the house and the history of nineteenth century Ocean County, New Jersey. 

At the time of the farmhouse's construction and addition, this unincorporated coastal community—nestled along the Jersey Shore roughly eighty miles south of New York City and sixty miles east of Philadelphia—was a quiet rural settlement sustained by timber, vineyards, and cranberry bogs.

In the 1800s, families living in what is now Lanoka Harbor (originally called Williamsburg or Aumacktown) were largely a mix of English and Dutch descendants. These early European settlers originally migrated from New England or direct from the U.K. and the Netherlands. A significant number were mariners from the Cape Ann of Massachusetts. 

While Lanoka Harbor lacked its own clay resources, several major nineteenth century pottery production centers operated within a short shipping distance of this barn. The closest ceramics hub was the southern Raritan Bay area, located roughly forty to fifty miles north in towns like South Amboy, Perth Amboy, and Cheesequake. Roughly fifty miles northwest sat Trenton, a major manufacturing hub that produced vast quantities of traditional red earthenware and industrial ceramics during this era. Additionally, prominent regional kilns operated just fifty miles southwest in Haddonfield and sixty-five miles northwest in Flemington. Because Lanoka Harbor was a busy maritime shipping corridor, everyday household goods from all of these nearby regional centers may have been trafficked to the area's stores. 

Interestingly, the back of the plate is marked with an inscription. While it is unclear exactly what the mark means, they could be the initials of an early owner. They may even belong to a member of the original family who built the farmhouse and barn back in 1789 or 1834.

Nevertheless, I am working with the family who discovered this plate in 1955 to uncover its history. If you recognize these markings or have any information about its origin, please feel free to reach out!

19th Century Red Earthenware Plate Found in a Barn in New Jersey in 1955

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Private Owner

A View of the Back of the Plate

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Private Owner

The Back of the Plate is Inscribed with a Mark

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Private Owner

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

19th Century Red Earthenware Jar with Lid Found in Maine

This was another unexpected find earlier tis week in Maine. I have only ever seen one other example of this type of nineteenth century red earthenware jar—lacking its lid and held in a private Massachusetts collection.  

While its shape mirrors wares from the Dodge Pottery in Portland, Maine, and Addison County, Vermont, I suspect this piece originated in the Danvers and Salem area of Massachusetts. Remarkably, this example still retains its original lid. My guess is it was used to hold spices (or perhaps snuff or tobacco), as were the jars that I referenced from other locations. 

This jar will also, of course, be featured in my forthcoming two-volume, 1,900+ page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts.

19th Century Red Earthenware Jar with Original Lid

Found Earlier this Week in Maine

Probably Made in the Danvers and Salem, Mass. Area

Stands 4 1/4" Tall

See Article for More Information

A View of the Original Lid

See Article for More Information

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

From North Carolina to Maine: The Journey of a 1930s Smithfield Art Pottery Vase

I had a fun time in Maine a few days! The reason I was up there was because I have a great, great story that will be a part of my forthcoming new book! I cannot wait to share it!  

While up there, I randomly came across a filthy, circa-1930s earthenware vase from the Smithfield Art Pottery in Johnston County, North Carolina. While I do not know its exact provenance, it must have an interesting history of ownership in Maine. It may even be one of the pieces originally sold through a high-end department store in New York City.

There is also a directly related piece owned by the North Carolina Pottery Center --

Link: https://ncpotterycenter.omeka.net/items/show/2066

For a brief history: The Smithfield Art Pottery, originally founded as Hillside Pottery in 1927 along the Neuse River in Smithfield, Johnston County, North Carolina, was a highly successful commercial operation that helped transition the state's ceramic tradition from utilitarian crocks to decorative artware. The business was built on a unique partnership between Herman C. Cole (1887-1967), a master turner from a legendary North Carolina pottery family, and Anna M. Graham (1885-1960), an artist and entrepreneur from New York who designed the sophisticated shapes that Cole brought to life on the wheel. Strategically located on a major highway to capture the business of northern tourists driving down to Florida, the shop was rebranded as the Smithfield Art Pottery around 1931 to emphasize its focus on fine artware over basic jug factory items. To meet skyrocketing demand, Cole hired some of the region's most celebrated master turners—including Jonah Owen (1895-1966), Charlie Craven (1909-1991), Charlie Teague (1901-1938), and Bill Gordy (1910-1993)—and expanded the facility with massive bottle kilns to produce thousands of pieces weekly. Graham leveraged her connections to secure major retail accounts with high-end northern department stores like Macy's in New York City, allowing the business to thrive through the Great Depression with its vibrant glazes and affordable artistry. 

Circa 1930s Earthenware Vase from the Smithfield Art Pottery in North Carolina

Just Found in Maine

Likely Retains a History of Family Ownership in Maine

The Vase was Filthy

Stands 11 3/8" Tall

See Article for More Information

This is How the Vase Appears Cleaned Up

See Article for More Information

A View of the Base

See Article for More Information

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

Unearthing Connections: How New England Pottery Wound Up in North Carolina

This is a follow up from yesterday's post, where I wrote: "...Samuel Marshall (d. 1749) is a notable figure in the colonial history of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. First recorded as a potter there in 1729, Marshall may have initially collaborated with Nathaniel Libby (1695-1752). Although Marshall did not purchase land until 1736, he successfully operated a red earthenware business near Puddle Dock—an area preserved today by Strawbery Banke Museum. 

Marshall's operations extended beyond local production. John Parker’s (1725-1765) 1747-1761 Potter’s Daybook from Charlestown, Massachusetts, shows Marshall purchasing some quantities of red earthenware in the late 1740s. This wholesale buying was likely a continuation of his early Portsmouth business model; notably, his name also appears in Theodore Atkinson’s (1697-1779) 1732–1735 ledger, predating his land ownership.

The ledger captures the bustling commercial operations of Atkinson, a wealthy New Hampshire merchant, judge, and provincial secretary. Beyond his extensive transatlantic trade, Atkinson maintained critical ties to the American South through coastal shipping routes connecting Portsmouth to North Carolina. During this era, North Carolina relied heavily on New England merchants to export its abundant naval stores—like tar, pitch, and timber—as well as corn and tobacco. Atkinson actively engaged in this intercolonial coastwise commerce, deploying merchant vessels to exchange specialized textiles (such as the cuttanees listed in this ledger), rum, and European goods for these Southern raw materials. These commercial networks cemented Atkinson's status as a key economic bridge between New England and the Southern colonies..."

Shown here on the left is an eighteenth century slip decorated red earthenware pan. Likely crafted in Charlestown, archaeologists recovered it near Wilmington, North Carolina, at the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson site. Founded in 1726 as the first permanent European settlement in the Cape Fear region, British troops later burned the town in 1776. On the right is a similar slip decorated pan found in a colonial context at the Three Cranes Tavern site in Charlestown, which was destroyed by fire during the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.

Note: For more information - see my third published book, titled, The Dawn of Independence, the Death of an Industry: The Pottery of Charlestown, Massachusetts: https://historicbeverly.net/product/the-dawn-of-independence-the-death-of-an-industry/.

(Left) 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Pan Recovered in N.C.

(Right) Similar 18th Century Pan Recovered in Charlestown, Mass.

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Photo Courtesy: Charles LeCount, Deputy Director of North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites and Properties and City of Boston Archaeology Program

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

More Than a Potter: Samuel Marshall, Theodore Atkinson, and the Business of Colonial New Hampshire

This is another preview of my forthcoming two-volume, 1,900+ page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts.

Earlier this week, while speaking at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I learned from Thomas Hardiman at the Portsmouth Athenaeum that the potter Samuel Marshall appears in Colonel Theodore Atkinson's 1732–1735 account ledger. This ledger captures the scope of early American commerce—tracking not only local transactions but also the vast coastal shipping networks that carried New England wares down to North Carolina. Here is that story.

"...Samuel Marshall (d. 1749) is a notable figure in the colonial history of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. First recorded as a potter there in 1729, Marshall may have initially collaborated with Nathaniel Libby (1695-1752). Although Marshall did not purchase land until 1736, he successfully operated a red earthenware business near Puddle Dock—an area preserved today by Strawbery Banke Museum. Decades later, in the 1760s, Quaker potter John Shillaber (1725-1791) arrived from Danvers and attempted to fill the void of local red earthenware production.

Marshall's operations extended beyond local production. John Parker’s (1725-1765) 1747-1761 Potter’s Daybook from Charlestown, Massachusetts, shows Marshall purchasing some quantities of red earthenware in the late 1740s. This wholesale buying was likely a continuation of his early Portsmouth business model; notably, his name also appears in Theodore Atkinson’s (1697-1779) 1732–1735 ledger, predating his land ownership. Meanwhile, Marshall's early associate, Nathaniel Libby, eventually relocated to Exeter, New Hampshire, where he ran a storefront and produced red earthenware. Following Libby's death in 1752, Charlestown potter Daniel Edes (1708-1764) arrived in Exeter in an attempt to revive the business.   

The ledger captures the bustling commercial operations of Atkinson, a wealthy New Hampshire merchant, judge, and provincial secretary. Beyond his extensive transatlantic trade, Atkinson maintained critical ties to the American South through coastal shipping routes connecting Portsmouth to North Carolina. During this era, North Carolina relied heavily on New England merchants to export its abundant naval stores—like tar, pitch, and timber—as well as corn and tobacco. Atkinson actively engaged in this intercolonial coastwise commerce, deploying merchant vessels to exchange specialized textiles (such as the cuttanees listed in this ledger), rum, and European goods for these Southern raw materials. These commercial networks cemented Atkinson's status as a key economic bridge between New England and the Southern colonies.

Marshall’s documented transactions show a heavy involvement in both personal consumer goods and maritime manufacturing materials. For example, in 1734 Marshall purchased a specific "parcel of earthenwear" valued at 7 pounds and 15 shillings (£7 15s 0d). He also purchased 169 pounds of bulk lead brought in by the merchant ship Giles, which was priced at 8½ pence per pound and cost him 5 pounds, 19 shillings, and 10 pence (£5 19s 10d).  

His trade activities extended deeply into Portsmouth's vital shipbuilding sector, where he acquired 237 pounds of oakum—a tarred hemp fiber used to caulk and waterproof wooden ship hulls—at a rate of 6 pence per pound, totaling 5 pounds, 18 shillings, and 6 pence (£5 18s 6d).   

In addition to buying goods, Marshall participated directly in the local service economy, earning a credit of 12 shillings (12s 0d) for performing 1½ days of manual labor. Combined together, Marshall's total economic footprint across these four specific ledger entries amounts to a gross value of 20 pounds, 5 shillings, and 4 pence (£20 5s 4d)."

Note: For more information about Samuel Marshall - see my eighth book, titled, An Influential Family of Early Potters: The Clarks of New Hampshire and Related Businesses: https://historicbeverly.net/product/an-influential-family-of-early-potters-the-clarks-of-new-hampshire-and-related-businesses/.

This is a Page from Theodore Atkinson's 1732-1735 Ledger

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Photo Courtesy: Portsmouth Athenaeum

Marshall Purchased a Parcel of Earthenwear in 1734

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Photo Courtesy: Portsmouth Athenaeum

Marshall Purchased 169 Pounds of Lead

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Photo Courtesy: Portsmouth Athenaeum

Marshall Acquired 237 Pounds of Oakum

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Photo Courtesy: Portsmouth Athenaeum

Marshall Performed 1 1/2 Days of Manual Labor

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Photo Courtesy: Portsmouth Athenaeum

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