10 - - Antiques & Auction News — February 28, 2020 antiquesandauctionnews.

net

A Look At Red Earthenware Made In Mason, Ohio

By Justin W. Thomas drawn to a selection of wares
that Ohio potter Greg Shooner
In June of 2016, I was intro- had brought from his person-
duced to a type of pottery al collection. Greg was one of
from the 19th century the presenters that year,
American red earthenware speaking about the red earth-
industry that I had no idea enware made in Warren
existed. While attending County, Ohio, in the 1800s,
Historic Eastfield Village’s and demonstrating how some
ceramic conference, just out- of this production was made.
side of Albany in East Nassau, I was instantly mesmer-
N.Y., otherwise known as “Dish ized by some of the beautiful-
ly decorated wares
from Mason, Ohio.
They were like noth-
ing else I have
encountered from
the American pottery
industry of the 19th
century. I remember
thinking to myself as
I drove home that if I
had not paid close
attention to Greg’s
These three 19th century Shenandoah Valley flow- presentation that I
erpots were found by Clark Garrett Jr. in Fairhaven, would have never
Preble County, Ohio. recognized this type
Courtesy Clark Garrett Jr. of production as
American. But then
Camp,” I recall walking into my thoughts quickly trans-
the village’s church and see- formed into the concept that
ing pottery and archaeologi- this type of production should
cal artifacts from all over be recognized on a regional
America displayed around the and national level. It should
room. I was immediately be represented in major
museums across the country.
And I was amazed to learn
that it is largely unknown
today. It is what I now consid-
er to be a treasured form of
production, adorned in one of
the most colorful slip decora-
tions created anywhere in
America.
A Special Style of
This 19th century two-piece red earth-
Production from Mason, Ohio
Located 23 miles north-
east of Cincinnati, in Warren
County, Ohio, the city of
Mason is named after
Revolutionary War veteran
Major William Mason (1760-
1830), who purchased 640
acres of land on June 1, 1803.
This land now forms the area
surrounding downtown
Mason today. Originally
known as Palmyra, the area
would be renamed Mason two
years after the Major’s death
in 1832, and most recently
becoming a city in 1971. The
area was largely recognized
for its agricultural growth in
the 19th century.
Warren County also has a
Revolutionary War connec-
tion. The county was named
after Dr. Joseph Warren (1741-
75) from Boston, who died
fighting at the Battle of
Bunker Hill in Charlestown,
Mass., on June 17, 1775. Warren
left a lasting legacy in the
American patriotic movement,
serving as president of the
Revolutionary Massachusetts
Provincial Congress and send-
ing Paul Revere (1735-1818) on
his infamous midnight ride to
Lexington at the dawn of the
American Revolution.
Warren County is consid-
ered one of the earliest pot-
tery production centers in the
The 19th century red earthenware built in 1813. The first building
flowerpot attributed to Silas Ballard’s
Midwest, dating to the early
19th century, and a lot of the
area’s production happened
around Route 42. Beginning in
the early 1800s, this road was
known as the Accommodation
Stagecoach Line running
through much of central Ohio,
starting with a historic termi-
nus at the Ohio/Kentucky
state line in Cincinnati to
Cleveland. The wares were
typically transported by
horse-drawn wagons in this
region, and for some of the
potteries, their proximity to
this route was important to
the success of their business.
Among the area’s first
group of pioneering potters
was George Foglesong
(Vogelsang) (1784-1831), who
migrated to America from
Germany in the late 18th cen-
tury as an indentured servant
to John Snavely in Washington
County, Md. He traveled to
America to learn about the
pottery trade. As part of the
arrangement, Foglesong
signed a contract with Snavely
agreeing to work for him for a
particular amount of time.
Afterwards, Foglesong relo-
cated to Lebanon, Ohio, where
he operated a pottery busi-
ness as early as 1805, until
around the time of his death
in 1831. Other red earthen-
ware potters in Lebanon suc-
ceeded his production until
the 1880s.
Elsewhere in the area,
Thomas Swift (d. 1836) estab-
lished a pottery in
Waynesville, Ohio, as early as
1808. He is considered to be
one of the first Quaker potters
in the area, operating his pot-
tery shop behind a brick
Federal style house that he
This 19th century red earthenware flowerpot with detached saucer is attributed
to Silas Ballard’s pottery in Mason, Ohio, ca. 1860-79.
Courtesy Greg Shooner.
was probably a log home, successful of any of the red
which was replaced by the earthenware potteries based
brick structure. He also man- in southwestern Ohio was that
aged a grocery on his proper- run by the Shakers in Union
ty, where he likely sold a lot of Village from circa 1820-50,
his wares. Founded by where there were at least four
Quakers from North Carolina different Shaker potters. But
who opposed slavery, the business may have been
Waynesville and other areas operating a few years earlier,
in Warren County were con- as well. Archaeological exca-
nected to many escape routes vations found that they manu-
tied to the Underground factured various types of util-
Railroad. The 1820 United itarian wares, including multi-
State Federal Census identi- colored slipware, as well as
fies a “free colored” male liv- smoking pipes, drain pipe and
ing in the household of the bricks. There was an emphasis
Swift family. given to black glazes. The
There were also signifi- recovered forms include
cant businesses in bowls, pitchers, plates, jugs,
Merrittstown, Springboro and jars, bottles, crocks, chamber
Oregonia, as well as other pots and flowerpots.
locations where some of this Interestingly, the Union
production can be mistaken Village wares were shipped
for wares made in far distances since this was
Pennsylvania today. The the only known Shaker pot-
abundance of potters was the tery operating in America,
cause of emerging towns in Continued on page 14
the 19th century, as a result of
the Northwest Territory (Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan,
Wisconsin, and part of
Minnesota) being divided in
1800, and the state of Ohio
forming on March 1, 1803. It
also certainly helped that
there were plenty of excellent
clay sources found through-
out Warren County. Potters
relocated to the newly formed
state from Kentucky,
This 19th-century red earthenware
Maryland, New York,
flowerpot is attributed to Silas Ballard’s
Pennsylvania, and apparently
pottery in Mason, Ohio, ca. 1860-79.
elsewhere in America.
Courtesy Greg Shooner.
Arguably the most

SEEKING VINTAGE SPORTS

enware urn is attributed to Silas pottery in Mason, Ohio, ca. 1860-79,
Ballard’s pottery in Mason, Ohio, ca. Here is another look at the two-piece was found by Clark Garrett Jr. in
urn.
CARDS AND MEMORABILIA
1860-79. Fairhaven, Preble County, Ohio.
Courtesy Mason Historical Society. Courtesy Mason Historical Society. Courtesy Clark Garrett Jr.

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