The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-12-14
BENNINGTON POTTERY
A Famous Industry Here For Many
Years.

At a recent meeting of the local
d. A. r. an interesting paper on pot
terry making in Bennington was read.
4 The article was prepared by Mrs. c..
II. Emmons, daughter of the late Ed
ward Norton, and was read by her
sister, Miss Helena Norton. With a
few changes and some additions to
make it more complete. the article is
as follows:
Walter A. Dyer, author of Early
American Craftsmen" says: Pa
trfotism, when 1t leads to war and des-
olation, ceases. in my opinion to be a
virtue; but when it leads men and
women to the revival and preserva-
tion Of worthy traditions and institu-
tions and to the study of history and
industrial arts, 1T becomes a positive
constructive price for good" With
this thought in mind we search for
the early history of the Bennington
pottery which was established by Cap
tain John Norton. who was an officer
in the 18th Connecticut regiment.
served in New York in 1776 and was
said to have been present at the ex-
ecution of Maj. Andre in 1880.
In 1898 John Norton with his wife
and children left their home in Shar-
on, Litchfield county. Connecticut,
and drove up through Berkshire
county into Bennington. "a portion
CT the harness used on the trip is in
our possession.) He purchased land
in the south part of the town, com
prising what are now the Moses Will
son, the W. s. Hinman and the Chas.
Tudor farms and built his pottery OPP
posite the spot where the Hinman
house now stands. Five years later
he built the house standing north Of
this property which is now occupied
by Charles Tudor and which was
known for many years as "The old
Norton Homestead" His oldest SON
Luman, built the Hinman house and
was associated with his father in the
pottery business,
They manufactured an earthen
ware covered with a salt glaze, which
was very similar to stoneware but
much lighter in weight and made jars
jugs, milk pans, baking dishes, plat
ters, bean pots and the ordinary
household utensils. There are sever
al pieces of this ware known to be in
existence and many others may be
tucked away in store rooms and at
tics Mrs L. S. Norton has a jaI
which was formerly the property ol
Miss Julia Bingham's grandmother
and which Miss Bingham said, that
her grandmother told her to always
preserve as it was one of the first
pieces made at the old Norton pottery
on the farm. The Ostrander family
in Hoosick have similar piece or
the bottom of which is written, "This
belonged to grandfather Ostrandel
and was made in the old Norton pot
terry" Mrs. w. B. Walker has an inl
we'll and several pieces which were
dug out of the ground in later years
when men were plowing. In appear
ance they might as the saying is
"antedate all dates" B. T. Henr,
kindly loaned me receipted bill
dated June Goth, 1915. 1t reads VIII
liam Henry Esq, bought of John Nor
ton & Son IL dozen milk pans
shillings per dozen, $500. Thel
three sizes of platters are mentioned
the whole coming to $4,000 ant
signed John Norton & Son.
Many years ago cousin of m,
fathers told me the happiest recol
lections of her childhood we're tn
days spent playing about the old pot
terry. A team Of horses harnessed t,
a long pole, and driven in a circle SUP
piled the power for grinding the clay
On rare occasions the children of tn
family were allowed to ride on thi
p. pole. As she explained: "All TIL