Manufacturer Notes: Keystone Pottery CompanyAt the State Treasury from the 1st day of December, 1889, to the 30th day of November, 1890, both days inclusive. 26. BONUS ON CHARTERS. ................ Keystone Pottery Company, Rochester, Beaver county, 50 00 ................ Auditor General's Report Of The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Summary of Receipts (1890) _______________________________________________________________________________________ 25. BONUS ON CHARTERS ............ Keystone Pottery Company, Rochester...... 50.00 ............ McM. Gregg, D.; Report of the Auditor General ON the Finances OF the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Of The Year Ending November 30, 1892 (Harrisburg, Edwin K. Meyers, 1893) _______________________________________________________________________________________ Two Men Badly Hurt. PITTSBURG, June 27. -The Keystone pottery at Rochester burned yesterday. Loss about $50,000. Two employees were badly injured by a falling wall. North Adams Transcript (North Adams, Massachusetts) June 27, 1895 _______________________________________________________________________________________ The Keystone pottery, owned and operated by Miller Brothers, of Rochester, N. Y. (sic), was destroyed by fire of unknown origin, Loss $50,000; insurance, $30,000. The Davenport Leader (Davenport, Iowa) June 28, 1895 _______________________________________________________________________________________ Keystone Pottery Co.—Wm. Miller and sons, large lumber dealers at Rochester, formerly operated a pottery on the east side of Rochester. The pottery was in operation five and a half years, from 1890 to 1895. In June, 1895, the buildings were destroyed by fire and have not been rebuilt. The statement of the company is that the prices were then so low that it would not pay to rebuild the works. There were three kilns and they made different kinds of stoneware like that made at New Brighton, having an especially large trade in ink bottles. The works are situated on the banks of the Ohio river and close to the P., F. W. & C. R. R., thus having excellent shipping facilities both by rail and by water. Like the other potteries their principal trade was in the eastern states, Portland, Me., being one of the largest shipping points. They also shipped to Cincinnati, Chicago and as far west as California. They used clay from the Lower Kittanning bed, the same geological bed as that used at New Brighton. The clay was mined from a drift in the bluff about 50 feet above the works. Some of the shale underlying the clay was used to mix with it in making the yellow ware. Beaver, James A.; Annual Report Of The Pennsylvania State College For The Year 1897 (Pennsylvania, Wm. Stanley Ray, 1898) _______________________________________________________________________________________ William Miller & Sons, of Pittsburg, have commenced the erection of a brick plant on the site of the old Keystone pottery destroyed by fire some two years ago, at Rochester, Pa. The new plant is to have at the outset a capacity of 25,000 stiff mud bricks per day. The product is to be principally repressed builders and of these both red and buff colored will be manufactured, the plant being supplied with fireclay and red shale. As no grading will be required for building, the latter will be put up at once, the machinery installed and the plant started up. all of which it is thought can be done within sixty days. When this part of the work is completed the grading for yard and kiln room will be prosecuted and the clay from this made into red bricks. By this proceeding no time will be lost in getting the factory in full operation. The plant is to be under the management of Joseph Shane, of Fallston, Pa., who has had many years' experience in the building brick industry in this section. The brick machinery, orders for which have been placed, will consist of the following: One Stevenson & Co. 9-ft. dry-pan. an E. M. Freese & Co. combined brick machine with rotating automatic cutter and a Richardson double mold repress, the latter furnished by the Ohio Ceramic Engineering Co., Cleveland. William Miller & Sons are extensive contractors, having offices in Pittsburg, also in Rochester, and being also large brick consumers, will use the entire product of their new brick plant. Brick Vol. XII No. 6 June 1, 1900 (Chicago, Windsor & Kenfield Publishing Company, 1900) _______________________________________________________________________________________ Keystone Pottery Company.—This firm, which was composed of Wm. Miller & Sons, was incorporated in 1890. John Gripp of Pittsburg, deceased, was a member of the firm at its organization. June 26, 1895, the plant was destroyed by fire. The site of the pottery was taken possession of by Wm. Miller & Sons, with H. V. Barteaux, who then formed the Miller Brick Company. The Miller Brick Company.—This company was incorporated in 1900 for the manufacture of face and paving brick. The officers of the company are Wm. Miller, Sr., president; Wm. L. Miller, secretary and manager; and John A. Miller, treasurer. Baumman, Joseph H.; History of Beaver County Pennsylvania And its Centennial Celebration (New York, Knickerbocker Press, 1904) _______________________________________________________________________________________ In 1878 and 1879 Sherwood Bros, laid the foundation of the present large pottery on Blockhouse Run. They started with one kiln and one small building, enlarging their facilities from time to time until now this company, is .one of the most progressive in Beaver County in the production of high-grade ware. Their specialties are glazed milk pans, stew pans, fruit jars, and Bristol ware. Since 1880 the following companies have been established: The Enterprise Pottery and the American Porcelain Company on Blockhouse Run, the Mayer Pottery Company at Beaver Falls, the Fallston Pottery Company on Brady's Run, and Keystone Pottery at Rochester. Their products are pitchers, toilet sets, plain and decorated table ware, bath tubs, sinks, jars, jugs, cuspidors, pots, etc. All of these companies use the Lower Kittanning clay in varying proportions, combined with imported clays of higher quality. Flower pots are manufactured from a mixture of Lower Kittanning and terrace clays at Oak Hill pottery, situated north of New Brighton, on the highest terrace. Adams, George I.; Gypsum Deposits in the United States (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1904) _______________________________________________________________________________________ From 1890 to 1895 the Keystone Pottery Company operated a pottery at Rochester. It was destroyed by fire in 1895. The ware, like much of the western Pennsylvania pottery, found a ready market in the New England States; Portland, Me., being an important point to which much was shipped. Ries, Heinrich; History Of The Clay-Working Industry In The United States (New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1909) _______________________________________________________________________________________ Go To North American Soda & Beers Home |