History - Norton "Factory / Pottery"

Bennington

Scroll down and you will see photos of the pottery.

As you go further down you will see artist renditions of the

pottery as depicted on various pieces of ephemera.
    This picture is a contact print from a glass negative in the Weichert-Isselhardt Collection, owned by Images from the Past. The original photograph was taken in 1895 by Madison E. Watson, a prominent photographer in Bennington from 1888 to 1899. Notice this is a different view as well as a different season from the photo below,,,see the snow !!!

 

From the collection of Images from the Past

Bennington,Vt.
     The Norton Pottery on Park Street,
also known as Pottery Row, photo was taken in the 1890's.
Again take notice this is a different view as well as a different season 
from the photo above,,,no snow at all !!!
Photo by Burton Gates
Bennington Museum Collection

Colorization by Tim Wager

Tim Wager posted this short clip to his facebook page .

Glass plate negative showing the pottery building, 

the chimney and dam spillway.

Photo by Burton Gates

Bennington Museum Collection
     Photos of the Norton Pottery Factory are rare.  This is glass plate negative of a photograph of Norton Pottery factory located on School Street, Bennington, Vermont. Image is very washed-out. Nine men (likely workers) are standing in front of the building, horse and wagon on right. Sign on roof of building, "Norton's Bennington Pottery".
Photo by Wills Thomas White
Bennington Museum Collection
      This photo was taken from School Street in the1880's.  Here is a zoom of the Bennington Graded School with the Walloomsac River on the right. What is significant is the view of the buildings of the United States Pottery on Park Street which are visible through the trees in right background.
St Peter's Episcopal Church, 1900, Pleasant Street side before it was remodeled around 1910 and covered with stone instead of brick.... Buildings to the right are part of Norton Pottery and the Bennington Graded School
Photo courtesy of Tim Wager
     This is a black and white photograph of the Episcopal Church at the corner of Pleasant and School Street. The remains of a pottery kiln are pictured in the background. A church rectory is located to the left of church. Norton Pottery building is located at the right rear. This photograph was taken just past mid-day, between 1 or 2 pm. There is a long shadow pictured on the building in the foreground. This photograph was taken in the early spring. Just after new church, St. Peters', was built in 1907. Left of church is the tower of a school that was torn down in 1950's. A dirt road runs down the center of the image. A sidewalk runs down the left side of the image. Deciduous trees dot the landscape on the sidewalk. Utility lines run down the right side of the image. 
Bennington Museum Collection
Close up of lower right hand corner showing the 
Norton Pottery along with two kiln stacks!

Post card in color
     To the left of the Church steeple is the Norton Pottery and on the right of the steeple you can see all of the buildings which made up the Fenton Pottery, also known as The United States Pottery which were demolished to build the Bennington Graded School in 1875...
Photo dates to 1860's early 1870's.
Birds Eye View of Bennington and Bennington Center, 1877
Norton Factory can be seen, numbered 22
As reported in The Evening Banner, Bennington Vt. Tuesday, December 8, 1953 
Marshall's Garage moved to the old Norton Pottery site at 
106 Park Street in approximatly 1936.
Thanks to Jim Chatterton for his help in getting me copies of original clippings.
     Unfortunately this historic building where a truly amazing family 
ran a business for over 100 years was torn down 
to build a Condominium complex.  All that remains is a sign 
"The Village at Norton Potters."  How very sad.....

~~~~~

Don't it always seem to go 
That you don't know what you've got til its gone 
They paved paradise 
And put up a parking lot

Lyrics courtesy of Joni Mitchell

~~~~~
The Norton Pottery as seen through various pieces of ephemera.

This is the line drawing from a J & E Norton pottery bill head.

Dated July 1857

Notice that there are five kilns being fired at once.

Cropped from envelope below.
United States Pottery Company
Stereograph labeled on back "View East from School bridge" Bennington, Vermont. Number 508. The water is high, a few leafless trees along banks and a group of buildings (US Pottery Company) on the left.
Photo by Calvin Dart 1874
Bennington Museum Collection
A great view of the United States Pottery Company
Stereograph of “Snow view from School St. East May 4, 1874” 
labeled on reverse by C. Dart, number 508.
Bennington Museum Collection
a
Norton "Factory / Pottery"
Worcester
     Franklin Blackmer Norton was the grandson of Captain John Norton 
the founder of the Norton Pottery, Bennington Vermont in 1793.
He left Bennington and went to Worcester Mass. to start his own pottery in 1858.
A partnership was formed with Frederick Hancock.
Establishing the pottery F. B. Norton & Co.
Kevin D. thanks for the above photos.