Williamsburg Pottery Factory is a large, multi-structure 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...

 outlet store

Outlet store

An outlet store or factory outlet is a brick and mortar or online retail store in which manufacturers sell their stock directly to the public. Traditionally, a factory outlet was a store attached to a factory or warehouse, sometimes allowing customers to watch the production process like in the...

 located in Lightfoot, Virginia

Lightfoot, Virginia

Lightfoot is an unincorporated community which straddles the James City–York county border, west of Williamsburg, in the U.S. state of Virginia....

, about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Williamsburg

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...

. The Williamsburg Pottery Factory markets itself as one of Virginia's largest tourist attractions. Referred to by the locals as "the Pottery", the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) attraction offers a vast selection of various handmade articles and imports from other 20 countries. The Pottery is famous for its "bare bones" appearance.

History

In 1938, James E. Maloney founded the business, located near Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...

, making eighteenth-century saltglaze reproductions to sell at low prices. As time passed, Maloney added china

Porcelain

Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...

  and glassware, discounting prices so that shoppers would return. The small structure mushroomed into many warehouse buildings. Sales grew, and the size of the facility grew to serve the interests of the increasing people visiting the place. In addition to their famed saltgaze pottery, the pottery grew to include artisans that sold a variety of handwork: custom lamps, floral arrangements (dried and silk flowers), and made-to-order picture frames. The Pottery expanded further to sell a variety of items including baskets, china, glass, stemware, wines, cheeses, plants and many unique items, both foreign and domestic.

The Pottery also added a campground and factory outlet stores that sell clothing, furniture, linens, foods, and crafts.
Currently, the Pottery occupies 200 acre (0.809372 km²) with 32 buildings, 8,000 parking places, and an inventory of 120,000 items gathered from all over the world. The 200 acre (0.809372 km²) does not include the campground and the acres it owns on Route 60.

Present

In recent years the Pottery has struggled with the death of its founder and the rapid growth of Prime Outlets on Route 60 closer to Williamsburg. In 2008, the Pottery put up for sale 21 parcels of land that include the Pottery shopping complex along Route 60 and the campground behind it. The land in the Lightfoot area is spread across James City and York counties, and about a quarter of the acreage sits east of nearby Interstate 64.

In May 2008, Kim Maloney, President and CEO of the Williamsburg Pottery, issued a statement about news articles concerning the Williamsburg Pottery.

"Recent news reports that the Williamsburg Pottery is for sale is false. We are exploring the sale of our land holdings and our real estate advisor has established a web site to make prospective purchasers aware of the opportunity. But we have no plans to sell the Pottery. Our only plan for the Pottery is to continue to offer the highest quality goods at terrific Pottery prices as we have for 70 years. I sincerely regret any confusion and hope that our customers and friends will come and see the exciting new products and enjoy the unique shopping experience at the Williamsburg Pottery."

Redevelopment

On August 31, 2010, the president of the Pottery, Kim Maloney, unveiled plans for a new $20 million, 146800 square feet (13,638.2 m²) retail development. Construction began on the new Williamsburg Pottery in December, 2010 at the original 1938 location on Richmond Road, following demolition of the old outlet buildings currently on the site. The retail project is designed by Guernsey-Tingle Architects, and will include 3 separate buildings in a traditional European Market theme when completed. Henderson Inc. was chosen as the General Contractor for the project and AES Consulting Engineers was selected for the site plan work. All are local companies, as are most of the subcontractors.

Prominent features of the new Williamsburg Pottery include a unique silhouette with energy-efficient lighting and a courtyard with a stage for live music and performances, plus inside/outside seating at the Café & Bakery and Deli. The Williamsburg Pottery continues to operate throughout the construction.

Demolition began in September, with a groundbreaking ceremony in the beginning of December. Construction will be complete in spring of 2012, with a grand opening scheduled for April 5, 2012, the date which would have been founder Jimmy Maloney’s 100th birthday.

Visitors

At one time, it was estimated that more than 3,000,000 people visited the Pottery on a yearly basis, and it was a top tourist attraction in the Historic Triangle

Historic Triangle

The Historic Triangle is located on the Virginia Peninsula of the United States and includes the colonial communities of Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown, with many restored attractions linked by the Colonial Parkway in James City and York counties and the City of...

. Recent figures are not available.

During the mid-1990s the Pottery became such a popular attraction that Amtrak started stopping at the railroad crossing at the Pottery, making it a regular stop for passengers. The stop was discontinued around 1996.