Description:
Tan-colored crock stamp-impressed "J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON VT / 6" in-filled with cobalt blue; over a large building complex with multiple chimneys on a hill with large foliate sprays in the foreground and a running fence on each side of the building in blue, which may be by the decorator John Hilfinger (1826-1888) who worked for the Nortons from 1855 to 1863 or 1864. A native of Goshen, Connecticut, Capt. John Norton (1758-1828) bought a large farm in Bennington in 1785 and began making redware. By 1804, the pottery was making stoneware, first using "stone clay" carted from Dorset, Vermont, and by 1806, using New Jersey stoneware clay mixed with local redware clay and possiblly the local kaolin until about 1830. Capt. John Norton's sons, Luman Norton (1785-1858) and John Norton, Jr. (1787-1850), worked in the factory and became partners as early as 1811-1812; by 1812, Luman was virtually running the factory. Capt. John Norton retired in 1823, and by 1828, John Norton, Jr. transferred his interests to his brother. From 1828-1833, Luman stamped his wares, "L. NORTON / BENNINGTON." In 1833, Luman both moved the pottery to the area known as East Bennington where it remained until the business closed in 1894, and took his son, Julius Norton (1809-1861) into the business, stamping the products, "L. NORTON & SON / BENNINGTON" or "L. NORTON & SON / EAST BENNINGTON." Julius took over when his father retired in 1840, and took his brother-in-law, Christopher Webber Fenton (1806-1865) into partnership. In 1847, that partnership dissolved; in 1850, Julius took his cousin, Edward Norton (1815-1885), into the firm (J. & E. Norton), and his son, Luman Preston Norton (1837-1906), in 1859. After Julius' death in 1861, Edward continued with Luman Preston as "E. & L. P. Norton" until 1882 when Luman sold his share of the firm to Edward, and Edward in turn sold that half share to Charles W. Thatcher (1857-1944) in 1833. Edward continued until his death in 1885 when his son, Edward Lincoln Norton (1865-1894) assumed his half-interest. The pot has a molded rim over two C-shaped lug handles, three incised lines, straight sides and a flat base; the interior is covered with Albany slip. The distinctive slip trailing indicates it was decorated by John Hilfinger (1826-1888), an itinerant artist born in Wurttemberg, Germany, who was active at several potteries in New York State and New England during the third quarter of the 19th century.
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