EarlyAmericanCeramics.com

Thursday, April 23, 2026

New Feature Story Published in Antiques And The Arts Weekly: Early Twentieth Century Italian Terracotta Found In Thrift Store Near Boston

My latest feature story is published on page 40 in the April 24, 2026 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, Early Twentieth Century Italian Terracotta Found In Thrift Store Near Boston.

Link to a PDF of the article: https://www.academia.edu/165948357/Early_Twentieth_Century_Italian_Terracotta

New Feature Story Published in Antiques And The Arts Weekly

Early Twentieth Century Italian Terracotta Found In Thrift Store Near Boston

Published in April 24, 2026 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Above for More Information

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

The Essex County Gateway: How Salem and Danvers Fueled the Underground Railroad

This post is another preview of my forthcoming two-volume, 1,800+ page, tenth book, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2026/01/update-on-new-book-book-sent-to.html.

While conducting research for the new book, I found it important to note how some of the local Quaker pottery families were involved with the abolitionist movement and anti-slavery societies in the 1830s, a connection that reminded me of similar activism with the Vickers family in Pennsylvania, among other Quaker potters in America. Here is a preview of this information:

"...Salem and Danvers, Massachusetts were essential hubs on the Underground Railroad, serving as a gateway for people escaping slavery and heading north toward Canada. Because of Salem’s busy harbor, many freedom seekers arrived by sea before being funneled through inland routes that ran directly through Danvers.

The local community did not just hide people—they were leaders in the national fight to end slavery. In Salem, the Remond family helped start one of the first anti-slavery groups where Black and white women worked together. At the same time, Danvers became a center for activism, hosting famous speakers like Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) to inspire the public to join the cause.

The Remond family was active throughout most of the 1800s, using their success and influence to fight for equality. The parents, John (1786-1874) and Nancy (1787-1867), moved to Salem’s Hamilton Hall in 1826, where they ran a famous catering business while helping found local anti-slavery groups. Their children became even more famous; Charles Lenox Remond (1810-1873) started speaking publicly in 1838 and became a top national leader for the movement, while his sister Sarah Parker Remond (1826-1894) began her career in 1842 and eventually traveled across Europe to gather support for the cause.

The Osborn and Southwick families, who were Quaker potters, notable for red earthenware production in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, were central to the abolitionist movement in Essex County, Massachusetts, particularly through the Anti-Slavery Society of Salem & Vicinity. Active between 1834 and 1839, this group operated as an early chapter of the American Anti-Slavery Society, organizing lectures, literature rooms, and prayer concerts.

One member of the Southwick family, Joseph (1791-1866), served as president of the American Anti-Slavery Society from 1835 to 1836, though after moving from Danvers to Boston in 1835, Joseph and his wife Thankful Southwick (1792-1867), operated their home as a safe house for activists and a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Anti-Slavery Society of Danvers was then formalized in 1838 with 50 local members. This included the Osborn and Southwick families, but the movement was also supported by the Goldthwaite, Cook, Wilson and Symonds families. Members of the Symonds family even supported the secret network of safe houses in Danvers. The regional system ran north from Boston and Marblehead to Salem, where it branched into three distinct trails: one through Danvers toward Andover, one through Danvers toward Haverhill, and a third through Beverly toward Ipswich..."

Note: For more information about Frederick Douglass - see a feature story I wrote that was published on pages 16-17 in the February 27, 2026 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, Nineteenth Century Red Earthenware Recovered At Boston's African Meeting House: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2026/02/black-history-month-feature-story.html.

For more information about the Southwick family - see a feature story I wrote that was published on page 10 in the December 12, 2025 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, The Southwick Family Of Potters Of Salem & South Danvers, Mass.: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2025/12/new-published-feature-story-in-antiques.html.

Also - for more information about Quaker potters and the Underground Railroad - see a cover story I wrote for the September 2, 2022 issue of Antiques & Auction News, titled, The Vickers Family Of Pennsylvania: Abolitionists, Farmers And Quaker Potters - A Short Examination Into A Unique American Ceramics Story: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2022/08/new-published-cover-story-vickers.html.

The Osborn and Southwick Families Were Involved with the Abolitionist Movement

This is a Local Anti-Slavery Document Signed by Family Members in 1834

These Families were Also Part of the Anti-Slavery Society of Salem & Vicinity in 1838

See Article for More Information

Some More Local Stories that Will Be Told in the New Two-Volume Book

See Article for More Information

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

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

A Redware Event Happening in Western New York in June!

For anyone interested -- I will be speaking at a redware event in Western New York in June!

This information is from the LeRoy, New York Historical Society: "On June 26th, come learn about 19th-Century redware pottery! We are excited to co-sponsor an event with the Genesee Country Antique Dealers Association to bring this presentation to LeRoy!

Presenters Justin Thomas and Gene Pratt will discuss 19th-century redware pottery! Various examples from the LeRoy Historical Society pottery collection and other pieces will be on display to accompany the presentation!"

A Redware Event Happening in Western New York in June!

Redware Event Happening in Western New York in June!

See Above for More Information

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

From Puddle Dock in Portsmouth to Salem's Waterfront: Tracing Eighteenth Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware

While conducting research for the new book, I realized that a slip-decorated red earthenware pan I had studied years ago in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, shared similarities to artifacts recovered near the Salem waterfront. Here is some of the information that will be included about these objects in Chapter 9 in Volume II of the book.

"...Locally made red earthenware was produced in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by potters such as Samuel Marshall (d. 1749) and the Dodge family. Despite this local industry, Portsmouth also imported red earthenware from regions like Charlestown, Massachusetts, particularly before the American Revolution.

Interestingly, some slip-decorated red earthenware artifacts recovered in eighteenth-century Portsmouth contexts display techniques comparable to styles found at the Narbonne House in Salem, Massachusetts, which is located a short-distance from Salem’s eighteenth and nineteenth century waterfront. While a definitive connection remains unconfirmed, Salem area potters may have exported a portion of their wares to other coastal hubs through the region's active maritime trade. Additionally, the circa 1764-1799 Daniel Bayley (1729–1792) Pottery Company in Newburyport, Massachusetts, was in operation during the same period these objects were in use.

For example, this hand-thrown slip decorated red earthenware pan was recovered from a late eighteenth century archaeological context at the Deer Street Archaeology Site in Portsmouth, which is located less-than one mile from Puddle Dock.

Puddle Dock (now largely filled in land owned by Strawbery Banke Museum and Prescott Park) was the central maritime hub of Portsmouth, serving as a vital commercial waterfront for trade, shipbuilding, and industrial activity, lined with warehouses and wharves where goods from around the world were offloaded..."

Note: For more information about Samuel Marshall in Portsmouth - 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/.

For more information about the Dodge Family Pottery in Portsmouth - see my seventh book, titled, From One Town Came Many: The Red Earthenware Industry of Ancient North Yarmouth, Maine: https://historicbeverly.net/product/from-one-town-came-many-the-red-earthenware-industry-of-ancient-north-yarmouth-maine/.

AI-Generated Image Showing How Puddle Dock May Have Appeared in Portsmouth, N.H.

This Would Have Been During the 1770-1800 Period

See Article for More Informatoon

Late 18th Century Slip Decorated Red Earthenware Pan

Recovered from the Deer Street Archaeology Site in Portsmouth, N.H.

This Site is Located Less-Than One Mile from Puddle Dock

Possibly Imported from a Massachusetts Manufacturer

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Strawbery Banke Archaeology Department

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

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

New Feature Story Published in Antiques And The Arts Weekly: Early Twentieth Century Italian Terracotta Found In Thrift Store Near Boston

This is the print version of my latest feature story published on page 40 in the current April 24, 2026 issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly, titled, Early Twentieth Century Italian Terracotta Found In Thrift Store Near Boston.

Link to a PDF of the article: https://www.academia.edu/165948357/Early_Twentieth_Century_Italian_Terracotta

New Feature Story Published in Antiques And The Arts Weekly

Early Twentieth Century Italian Terracotta Found In Thrift Store Near Boston

Published in April 24, 2026 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Above for More Information

Early Twentieth Century Italian Terracotta Found In Thrift Store Near Boston

Published in April 24, 2026 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Above for More Information

Early Twentieth Century Italian Terracotta Found In Thrift Store Near Boston

Published in April 24, 2026 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Above for More Information

This is the April 24, 2026 Issue of Antiques And The Arts Weekly

See Above for More Information

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

Monday, April 20, 2026

The Bell Tavern of Danvers/Salem, Mass. and the Three Cranes Tavern of Charlestown, Mass.

As I have noted - my forthcoming two-volume, 1,800+ page, tenth book should be published soon, titled, An Early Industry of Household Wares: The Red Earthenware of Salem Village, Danvers, Peabody, Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2026/01/update-on-new-book-book-sent-to.html.

While conducting research for this book, I discovered a fascinating account of the Bell Tavern in Danvers/Salem (now Peabody), which served as an important meeting place for both local social life and patriotic leaders in the 1770s. In some ways, the Bell Tavern was similar to the Three Cranes Tavern in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which burned at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. The story of the Bell Tavern is included in the new book! This is some more information that will also be included in the book:

"...The Bell Tavern was the North Shore's version of the famous Three Cranes Tavern in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Both were legendary "Revolutionary hubs,” however, the Three Cranes Tavern was burned to the ground during the American Revolution, while the Bell Tavern survived the war, only to be taken down in the nineteenth century.

The Three Cranes Tavern, originated in 1629 as the "Great House," the initial seat of government for the Massachusetts Bay Colony and home to Governor John Winthrop (1588-1649). After the colonial leadership relocated to Boston in 1630, the property was purchased in 1635 by Robert Long (1590-1663), who converted it into a tavern and named it after a well-known London establishment. For the next 140 years, it remained a prominent social and political landmark, staying within the Long family for generations and evolving into a sophisticated hub for wealthy merchants, travelers, and eventually, American Patriots.

The tavern's long history came to a violent end during the Revolutionary War. On June 17, 1775, during the Battle of Bunker Hill, British forces set fire to Charlestown to displace rebel snipers, completely leveling the Three Cranes Tavern. Often referred to as "Boston's Pompeii," the archaeology of this site, which was part of Boston’s Big Dig Project in the 1980s, uncovered the tavern's original foundations and a wealth of artifacts, such as locally produced red earthenware.

It was likely a similar scenario at the Bell Tavern, since Danvers and Salem both sustained significant red earthenware businesses during this period, such as the Symonds family, Osborn family and Southwick family, etc. It is likely that there were eighteenth and early nineteenth century privies associated with the Bell Tavern, although it is unclear if they are still buried beneath the ground in Peabody or if they were removed in the nineteenth century..."

Furthermore, Charlestown red earthenware will also be a big part of my new book since both areas were intertwined before the American Revolution, such as potters who relocated, religious ties, related families, marriages, etc.

Note: For more information about the archaeology of the Three Cranes Tavern in Charlestown - see my third 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/.

The Three Cranes Tavern of Charlestown, Mass.

This is an AI-Generated Image of How the Three Cranes Tavern May Have Appeared

The Building Originated in 1629 in Charlestown, Mass.

It was Destroyed on June 17, 1775

See Article for More Information

This is Another AI-Generated Image of How the Three Cranes Tavern May Have Appeared

The Building Originated in 1629 in Charlestown, Mass.

It was Destroyed on June 17, 1775

See Article for More Information

Some of the Locally Produced Red Earthenware Found at the Tavern Site in the 1980s

Recovered from Circa 1700-1775 Privies

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: City of Boston Archaeology Program

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

Francis Symonds and the Bell Tavern: A Legacy of Patriotism in Danvers/Salem, Massachusetts

"...Established in 1740 by Francis Symonds (1720-1775), the Bell Tavern stood at the intersection where Main and Washington Streets met in Salem (now Peabody), Massachusetts. Although the original building is believed to have been built in 1757 by Symonds, who also operated the area’s first printing press out of this building.

The tavern was a meeting place for travelers and patriots alike. Until 1752, what we now call Danvers or Peabody was actually part of Salem and was known as Salem Village. Since Francis was active in Danvers during the mid-to-late 1700s, his family would have originally been considered Salem residents.

The Bell Tavern in Danvers served as a critical nerve center for Revolutionary excitement and the patriot cause under the ownership of Symonds. The tavern was a key meeting place for the Sons of Liberty; it also became the site of a dramatic political confrontation in 1770 when local patriots forced a merchant caught selling boycotted tea to sign a formal public apology.

Interestingly, in some ways, the Bell Tavern was the North Shore's version of the famous Three Cranes Tavern in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Both were legendary "Revolutionary hubs,” however, the Three Cranes Tavern was burned to the ground by the British during the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, while the Bell Tavern survived the war, only to be taken down in the nineteenth century.

The archaeology of the Three Cranes Tavern, conducted as part of Boston’s Big Dig Project in the 1980s, revealed a series of eighteenth century privies, which contained a wide variety of locally produced red earthenware. It was likely a similar scenario at the Bell Tavern, since Danvers and Salem both sustained significant red earthenware businesses during this period, such as the Symonds family, Osborn family and Southwick family, etc. It is likely that there were eighteenth and early nineteenth century privies associated with the Bell Tavern, although it is unclear if they are still buried beneath the ground in Peabody or if they were removed in the nineteenth century.

However, Francis Symonds' commitment to the patriotic cause extended beyond political gatherings, where he was also active in military service, most notably during the Battle of Menotomy, fought on April 19, 1775. This was the bloodiest and most brutal engagement of the first day of the American Revolution. While Lexington and Concord are more famous, more men fell in the village of Menotomy (now Arlington, Massachusetts) than in any other location during the British retreat to Boston.

Symonds served as a Second Lieutenant in Captain Samuel Epes's (1747-1819) Company of Danvers minutemen. As previously noted in Volume I of this book, some of the men who lost their lives on this day, included soldiers from Danvers pottery families; Samuel Cook Junior (1742-1775), George Southwick Junior (1750-1775) and Ebenezer Goldthwaite (1754-1775).

According to local legend - in recognition of his bravery and leadership, the citizens of Danvers supposedly presented Symonds with an engraved warming pan—a unique and prestigious gift for a respected local hero of the community’s resistance against British rule. The pan is inscribed with a figure of a "Bell" and the words, "In toll you in / If you have need / And feed you well / And bid you speed." But current research debates this information and suggests it was actually made as a commemorative object in the nineteenth century.

While there is not a direct association with the Symonds family of furniture makers and red earthenware potters in Salem (i.e. son, grandson, nephew, cousin, etc.), it is likely that Francis was related in some way. The Symonds name was relatively contained to this part of Massachusetts in the 1700s, so there is a probability that he belonged to one of the branches of the broader John Symonds (1594–1671) lineage that dominated the area. John was a seventeenth century cabinet maker in Salem, with later generations working as red earthenware potters in Salem and Charlestown after 1740.

Nevertheless, the original 1700s building of the Bell Tavern was torn down in 1840 after it was bought by the Daniels family. The new owner, a local leather maker named David Daniels (1809-1880), decided to destroy the historic landmark simply to make room for a new row of shops and storefronts that would make more money..."

Francis Symonds and the Bell Tavern