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The Potteries of New England, Part I: Bennington

© Barbara Bell

Although some of the most collectible art pottery from New England is from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Saturday Evening Girls and Dedham potteries, there have been potteries in New England since the end of the Revolutionary War.

Established two years after Vermont joined the Union in 1791, the first pottery was built in Bennington by Capt. John Norton, of Connecticut and his brother, William. Capt. Norton owned large tracts of farmland there since 1785, and was a prominent distiller. Perceiving the need for a local supply of milk, cider and whiskey jugs, he built one kiln on his farm. Within a year he built a second kiln.

Much of the early ware produced there was of the salt-glazed stoneware variety so familiar to modern collectors of country stoneware. The Norton pottery grew throughout the 19th century producing decorated stoneware featuring birds, flowers and animals.

Around 1845, when the pottery was owned by Capt. Norton's descendent Julius Norton and his brother-in-law Christopher Fenton, the production of the "Rockingham" brown glazed pottery was begun. It is known variously as "Bennington Rockingham" or just "Rockingham", and such utilitarian utensils as mugs, jugs and pitchers were the most popular items. They were often designed with a dog's form as the handle.

In 1849, Christopher Fenton split from Julius Norton and formed his own firm, the U.S. Pottery Company. It is primarily at Fenton's factory that the bulk of Rockingham ware was produced. However, this firm was dissolved in 1858. The Norton factory ceased production of pottery in 1894.

In addition to Rockingham ware, the U.S. Pottery Company produced flint enamel glazes, yellowware, agate and granite ware, parian and porcelain.

Marie Miller Antiques shows a good selection of Bennington Rockingham items for sale. The site warns: "Many people attribute any brown glazed pottery to Bennington Vermont. In fact, most of the pieces they claim were made in Bennington were actually made elsewhere. To determine whether a piece is truly Bennington, it must be signed, or compared with the known examples pictured and described in the book. That book is 'Bennington Pottery and Porcelain' by Richard Carter Barret. Many consider Mr. Barret to be the foremost authority on Bennington Rockingham. He was for many years the curator of the Bennington Museum and loved Bennington Rockingham."

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