AMERICAN STONEWARE

Pictured is one sample of the large American stoneware collection we have at the WMHS museum in the West Monroe grange building. The picture shows what appears to be an upside down bowl in a saucer. At what would be the top of the bowl is a small hole. In order to make this device serve its’ designed function the bowl is turned up filed with water to the small hole and the saucer is placed on top and than the whole thing is turned over as shown, water runs out of the hole into the saucer and you have a chicken waterer.

We also have many other samples of stoneware in various shapes and sizes. The American shapes are the ovoid-bulbous at the top that taper to a smaller base and the more common cylindrical. A significant stoneware manufacture was in North Bay in 1848, owned by Peel Webster. E. H. Farrar continued production until 1851; John C. Waeld until 1875. Samuel & James Hart in Fulton operated a large pottery factory from 1832-1876. It was destroyed by fire in 1892.

Stoneware was originally shipped to the new colonies from Europe, with Britain being the main supplier. Soon the colonists began to produce their own wears and ending only about 1910 with the appearance of glass fruit jars.

Fine clay was valued for making stoneware and this was found in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The clay was cleaned, dried and cut into bricks then worked to a consistency of bread dough. The clay was generally shaped on a potter’s wheel and set aside a few days to dry. The inside was coated brown or black with a special liquid clay and the exterior was decorated. Later in time as demand grew and production increased the decoration became simpler. The “crocks” were placed in an outdoor kiln at temperatures of 2200-2300 degrees f. Glazing was done by throwing salt in the kiln where it vaporized on the exposed surfaces of the wares and produced the beautiful sheen on the finished product.
 

By Peary Tompkins

Sources:

Web sites – “The Lakeshore Guardian” and “Buzz Bitz”.

Publications – “American Stoneware” by William C. Ketchum