Cleveland County Pottery Kilns to Open Sept. 20, 1924

Pottery Kilns to Open September 20. . . A Visit to Jugtown Where One of the Oldest Arts in America Is Practiced

Those of Cleveland county who have become interested in the pottery plants in Catawba county might be interested to know that the potters will burn kilns and have newly made wares ready for sale after September 20th. A representative of The Star visited two of these plants last week and found them well worthwhile. Jugtown pottery has been known for years but only recently have the people manifested any particular interest. The women of Shelby have shown a peculiar interest in pottery since the manufacturers have turned to fancy designs. One of the oldest potters found in that section was Mr. Johnson, aged 74, who learned the trade in east Tennessee and has been following it for 60 years. He confines himself to crockery ware, jugs, churns of the cruder sort, although he is an artist in his line, working in a picturesque little log cabin beside the road with his furnace near at hand.

The Hilton, 10 miles from Newton, have the largest plant, three men working all the time, making 250 different designs. They cater more to the artistic rather than the strictly useful and so well have they become known that an order is never solicited. Orders pile in faster than they can make the wares. Some days 15 to 20 automobiles drive to their door, mostly with women customers wanting to buy the fancy products which are later painted for ornamental purposes in elegant homes throughout the land.

The Hilton pottery was brought into the limelight by exhibitions at the Made-in-Carolinas expositions held in Charlotte. Articles appearing in the press recently have revived interest in this art, one of the oldest in the country, which dates back to Indian days.

“Why don’t you hire more men and increase your output to meet the demand,” inquired The Star representative.

“We can’t get the men,” replied Mr. Hilton. “It takes four years for one to learn the trade, and we can’t find people who are willing to serve an apprenticeship that long.”

If you have never seen the potter take the plastic clay and make it obey the will of his fingers, the trip is worth the time. You’ll learn why Jesus is referred to as the potter and you as the clay, why some vessels break and others serve a good purpose.

From the front page of the Cleveland Star, Shelby, N.C., Tuesday, September 16, 1924

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