Louisville Stoneware
Encyclopedia
Louisville Stoneware, previously known as Louisville Pottery, is located in the Highlands section of Louisville, Kentucky
. Founded in 1815, making it one of the oldest stoneware companies in the United States
, it creates fanciful stoneware
that is nationally renowned. It specializes in decorating its pottery with Kentucky Derby
and Christmas
themes, but it has other themes as well: Noah's Ark
, Primrose
, and Pear
being examples. They can also create personalized items. Besides pottery, they have made bird baths and bird feeders.
Clay used by the company comes from western Indiana
, and may be up to 250 million years old. Dishes made at the factory have been proven to be safe for use in oven
s, microwave ovens, and dishwasher
s, and can retain heat for keeping food warm.
Items from Louisville Stoneware are in the Smithsonian Institution
and White House
. In addition, Queen Elizabeth II
was presented a music box made by Louisville Stoneware, given by the wife of Kentucky's governor Ernie Fletcher
, that played My Old Kentucky Home
when the Queen visited Churchill Downs
for the Kentucky Derby
in 2007.
The New York Times singled out Louisville Stoneware as a business especially affected by the United Parcel Service
strike of 1997.
During the U.S. presidential campaign of 2004
, John Kerry
gave a campaign diatribe on small-business healthcare insurance in May 2004 at Louisville Stoneware.
In March 2007, Louisville Stoneware laid off most of its employees (38 out of 49), after which they retooled their visitor's center and temporarily opened a store at Oxmoor Center
in St. Matthews, Kentucky
. In July, it was sold to Two Stone Inc., as the previous owner, Christina Lee Brown, wished to retire. The chief concept officer, Lisa Mullins, decided to increase the number of places that sold their stoneware from just one, Taste of Kentucky, to three additional locations in Louisville, and one apiece in Bardstown, Kentucky
, Owensboro, Kentucky
, and Cincinnati, Ohio
. There has been plans to open stores in Chicago, Illinois, Cincinnati, Ohio
, and Indianapolis, Indiana
.
Since 1997, company sales have averaged $3 million a year. In those ten years, the business switched from a mostly wholesale
business to mostly retail
. Over 90% of their business has been centered around Louisville and Kentucky
, but internet and national advertising is expected to expand distribution.
Factory tours are available weekdays by appointment, with group discounts available. It is anticipated that, eventually, tours could make the factory as big a center for Louisville tourism as the Louisville Slugger Museum
.
The JB Taylor Company was founded in 1815 in Louisville, Kentucky. But it was not owned by John B. Taylor until 1938. In 1970 the company was sold and became known as Louisville Stoneware. The company is still produces the stoneware. Some of the old patterns are still in production as well as many new designs.
Some of the oldest patterns include Harvest and Vintage. In the earlier days, the artists were likely to experiment with different designs and you can occasionally find a unique treasure in antique/consignment shops. They also do many pieces on commission for company/event promotions, the best known being their pieces done to commemorate the running of the Kentucky Derby. They also did a pattern for Cracker Barrel Restaurants, Kentucky Fried Chicken and many more.
The fun aspect of this stoneware is the different patterns and individual hand painted designs, from Bachelor Button, Country Flowers, hummingbirds, 12 Days of Christmas, Noah's Ark, etc. As well as some decorative pieces including castles, birdhouses, pet dishes, etc.
One of the better known potters to work for John B. Taylor was MA Hadley (Mary Alice Hadley), who started a company of her own. MA Hadley is very collectible and highly sought after for their varied and creative hand painted patterns.
Hadley Pottery had its inception early in 1940. At that time, M.A.Hadley applied her artistic talents to the making of a custom set of dishes for a cruiser that the Hadleys had on the Ohio River. The Hadley Pottery building was purchased by the Hadley's in October 1944 as a birthday present for Mrs. Hadley. Mrs. Hadley painted all of the murals on the walls of the building.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Founded in 1815, making it one of the oldest stoneware companies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it creates fanciful stoneware
Stoneware
Stoneware is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic ware with a fine texture. Stoneware is made from clay that is then fired in a kiln, whether by an artisan to make homeware, or in an industrial kiln for mass-produced or specialty products...
that is nationally renowned. It specializes in decorating its pottery with Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
themes, but it has other themes as well: Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
, Primrose
Primulaceae
Primulaceae is a family of flowering plants with about 24 genera, including some favorite garden plants and wildflowers. It is also known as the primrose family.- Genera :...
, and Pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
being examples. They can also create personalized items. Besides pottery, they have made bird baths and bird feeders.
Clay used by the company comes from western Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and may be up to 250 million years old. Dishes made at the factory have been proven to be safe for use in oven
Oven
An oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance. It is most commonly used for cooking. Kilns, and furnaces are special-purpose ovens...
s, microwave ovens, and dishwasher
Dishwasher
A dishwasher is a mechanical device for cleaning dishes and eating utensils. Dishwashers can be found in restaurants and private homes.Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies largely on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the mechanical dishwasher cleans by spraying hot water, typically between ...
s, and can retain heat for keeping food warm.
Items from Louisville Stoneware are in the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
and White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. In addition, Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
was presented a music box made by Louisville Stoneware, given by the wife of Kentucky's governor Ernie Fletcher
Ernie Fletcher
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. In 1999, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th governor of Kentucky and served in that office...
, that played My Old Kentucky Home
My Old Kentucky Home
"My Old Kentucky Home" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster , probably composed in 1852. It was published as "My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night" in January 1853 by Firth, Pond, & Co. of New York...
when the Queen visited Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
for the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
in 2007.
The New York Times singled out Louisville Stoneware as a business especially affected by the United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
strike of 1997.
During the U.S. presidential campaign of 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
gave a campaign diatribe on small-business healthcare insurance in May 2004 at Louisville Stoneware.
In March 2007, Louisville Stoneware laid off most of its employees (38 out of 49), after which they retooled their visitor's center and temporarily opened a store at Oxmoor Center
Oxmoor Center
Oxmoor Center is a Louisville, Kentucky shopping mall located at 7900 Shelbyville Road in eastern Louisville.Opened in 1971 on the opposing side of the Watterson Expressway from Mall St. Matthews, the mall originally had Shillito's and Stewart Dry Goods as its anchor stores...
in St. Matthews, Kentucky
St. Matthews, Kentucky
St. Matthews is the 20th largest city in Kentucky, United States and is a prominent suburb of Louisville. It is located 8 miles east of downtown Louisville in Jefferson County. It is one of the state's major shopping areas, being home to second and fifth largest malls in Kentucky St. Matthews is...
. In July, it was sold to Two Stone Inc., as the previous owner, Christina Lee Brown, wished to retire. The chief concept officer, Lisa Mullins, decided to increase the number of places that sold their stoneware from just one, Taste of Kentucky, to three additional locations in Louisville, and one apiece in Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
, Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
, and Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. There has been plans to open stores in Chicago, Illinois, Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, and Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
.
Since 1997, company sales have averaged $3 million a year. In those ten years, the business switched from a mostly wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
business to mostly retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
. Over 90% of their business has been centered around Louisville and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, but internet and national advertising is expected to expand distribution.
Factory tours are available weekdays by appointment, with group discounts available. It is anticipated that, eventually, tours could make the factory as big a center for Louisville tourism as the Louisville Slugger Museum
Louisville Slugger Museum
The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, a museum located in Louisville, Kentucky's "Museum Row" in the West Main District of downtown, showcases the history of the Louisville Slugger brand of baseball bats made by Hillerich & Bradsby, and of baseball in general...
.
The JB Taylor Company was founded in 1815 in Louisville, Kentucky. But it was not owned by John B. Taylor until 1938. In 1970 the company was sold and became known as Louisville Stoneware. The company is still produces the stoneware. Some of the old patterns are still in production as well as many new designs.
Some of the oldest patterns include Harvest and Vintage. In the earlier days, the artists were likely to experiment with different designs and you can occasionally find a unique treasure in antique/consignment shops. They also do many pieces on commission for company/event promotions, the best known being their pieces done to commemorate the running of the Kentucky Derby. They also did a pattern for Cracker Barrel Restaurants, Kentucky Fried Chicken and many more.
The fun aspect of this stoneware is the different patterns and individual hand painted designs, from Bachelor Button, Country Flowers, hummingbirds, 12 Days of Christmas, Noah's Ark, etc. As well as some decorative pieces including castles, birdhouses, pet dishes, etc.
One of the better known potters to work for John B. Taylor was MA Hadley (Mary Alice Hadley), who started a company of her own. MA Hadley is very collectible and highly sought after for their varied and creative hand painted patterns.
Hadley Pottery had its inception early in 1940. At that time, M.A.Hadley applied her artistic talents to the making of a custom set of dishes for a cruiser that the Hadleys had on the Ohio River. The Hadley Pottery building was purchased by the Hadley's in October 1944 as a birthday present for Mrs. Hadley. Mrs. Hadley painted all of the murals on the walls of the building.