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March 2001, Volume 2: Issue 1
TRENTON POTTERIES
Newsletter of the Potteries of Trenton Society
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Table of Contents
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Paul W. Schopp and David L. Weinberg
(A.D. Marble & Company, Rosemont, PA)
A cultural resource investigation was conducted in 2000 to
assess the presence and sensitivity of significant above and below
ground historic cultural resources. This survey was in response
to potential effects associated with replacement of the Southard
Street Bridge within the City of Trenton, New Jersey. The bridge
was originally constructed as an iron truss swingspan in 1885
(Trenton Sunday Times Advertiser, April 23, 1933). The
Southard Street Bridge is considered not eligible for listing
in the National Register of Historic Places by the NJ Historic
Preservation Office and the NJ Department of Transportation.
The investigation also consisted of a historic structures survey
of all properties within the historic structures investigation
area. The survey evaluated the structures' eligibility for inclusion
in the National Register of Historic Places, and assessed the
effects of the project on any eligible resources. Of the 79 properties
surveyed, six were found to be potentially eligible for listing
in the National Register of Historic Places, including the Camden
& Amboy Branch Railroad, the Delaware & Raritan Canal, and the
National Ceramic Company (also known as the National Porcelain
Company prior to 1940-1946). The following article was written
through the research conducted for the cultural resource survey
along Southard Street.
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The National Ceramics Company was representative of those companies
who found a niche in the electrical industry in the early twentieth
century. Known as the "Staffordshire of America" Trenton gained
great prominence for utilitarian hotel china and sanitary wares
(Barber n.d. [1909]:211). However, not all of the nearly 50 Trenton
pottery manufacturers during the industry's peak, 1880-1920, pursued
these wares. The history of the National Ceramics Company records
the adaptation to new technologies, diversity in response to economic
forces, and product specialization in a competitive modern environment.
According to Trenton pottery historian Marc Stern, the Trenton
pottery industry transitioned from general production in the nineteenth
century to specialization in the twentieth century. Stern writes:
"From the standpoint of industrialization, the history of Trenton's
potteries can be divided into two periods, before and after 1896."
The earlier period represents general ware production by virtually
all potters. By the turn of the twentieth century, however, specialization
became a hallmark of Trenton potteries. While many of the potters
specialized in sanitary ware, the electric age ushered in a demand
for yet another line of porcelain products. With Thomas Edison's
creation of an improved and perfected electric light bulb, an
entirely new industry sprang up almost overnight. Not only were
electric generators and motors required, but switches, light sockets,
and a method of insulation was needed. The fledgling electrical
industry turned to the established porcelain business for its
insulation needs. Porcelain had already proven its excellent electrical
insulating qualities when used in telegraph. New designs were
prepared for use in the electrical trade, and some Trenton pottery
works were gearing up to produce this specialty work along with
their general ware line (Stern 1994:67, 103-104, 112).
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The National Ceramic Company's tunnel
kiln exterior (2000).
One firm that chose to specialize primarily in electrical insulating
products was the National Porcelain Company, formed in 1906 by
Bayard Dunkle (NJ Secretary of State 1914:461). The firm constructed
a plant at the corner of Old Rose and Feeder streets, and by 1909,
the works employed 25 people (Garrison 1909:440). Three years
later, production was up as well as employment, with the addition
of 20 people (Garrison 1912:475). Evidently, product demand outstripped
production capacity. In response to this rapid growth, sometime
between 1915 and 1918, the National Porcelain Company relocated
to a new building at 500 Southard Street, and employment increased
to 75 hands (Bryant 1918:601). The new two-story plant featured
an office on the first floor, manufacturing space on both floors,
and three kilns. By 1934, the firm was producing "electrical porcelain,
pyrometer tubes, radio insulators, [and] insulators" (Toohey 1934:118).
The president of the firm remained Bayard L. Dunkle, while the
plant manager was J.A. Schermerhorn. The plant had 28 male employees
and 45 female employees.
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As possible evidence of
plans to diversify their products, the National Porcelain Company
contracted for some building demolition at their Southard Street
site in April 1937. It is unclear exactly what structure(s) had
been razed, but new construction at the plant site began in October
1937. The Trenton engineering and construction firm, Newton A.K.
Bugbee Company, Inc., erected a one-story steel and brick building
valued at $5,000. This structure likely houses the existing kilns.
In an effort to keep up with kiln technology, the National Porcelain
Company had a gas-fired Robertson Junior tunnel kiln (measuring
85'L x 9'W x 7'H) installed at their plant in this new building.
The firm of Robertson & Company
Sears, Roebuck & Co. insulator and bracket advertisement (1908).
in Cleveland, Ohio manufactured the new kiln for National (pers.
comm. Thomas Colletti 13 February 2001). A 45-meter (50-ft) high
brick stack was built at the front of this addition to the plant.
Newton A.K. Bugbee Company, Inc. reportedly erected another two-story
factory building, valued at $8,000, by December 1937 (City of
Trenton 1936-1960s). Since there appears to be no evidence of
another major addition to the plant, based on visual observation
and historic maps, it is presumed that this work actually represents
a complete renovation of the existing two-story factory building.
A variety of garages, coal and clay sheds, and product storage
buildings were situated along the perimeter of the property (City
of Trenton 1936-1960s). Nearly all of these peripheral ancillary
structures are now gone.
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National Porcelain Company (Sanborn Insurance Map, 1927).
Constructing tunnel kilns was a great economy measure for the pottery
industry; these savings included fuel, firing and production time,
and, most importantly, labor costs. However, this technology also
required some concessions, such as continuous production approaching
the nature of an assembly line, often forcing individual pottery
firms to overproduce their wares. Shutting down a tunnel kiln for
any reason required a total of 22 days: eleven days for cooling
the unit and eleven days for bringing the kiln back up to full heat
(Stern 1994:166-167). This may explain why there is such a production
line disparity between 1934 and 1940, with the latter year representing
a veritable explosion of product types. On the eve of World War
II, the National Porcelain Company had truly diversified their product
line. They were now producing "electrical porcelain, bathroom fixtures,
vases and miniature novelties and china" (Toohey 1940:254). The
firm held several patents for their creations, including at least
two for novelty ashtrays, among them the "Snuf A Rette," patent
no.2,100,078, issued during 1937, apparently soon after National
installed their tunnel kiln. A second ashtray, the "Safety Ash Tray,"
patent no.2,184,994, issued during 1938, was yet another example
of product diversification
(
http://www.uspto.gov/ web/offices/ac/ ido/oeip/taf/ issuyear.htm
accessed 13 February 2001).
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These ashtrays could be printed with advertising
text and images in order to personalize the product for the client
or prospective audience. |
Snuff a Rette Ashtray (ca. 1937)
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One such advertising tray reads: "United Clay Mines Corporation
Trenton New Jersey / For Fine Ceramics Hillman Clay Samson Clay
I For Fine Paper Dawson Clay Franklin Clay." The creation of these
ashtrays strengthens the argument that the 1937 tunnel kiln installation
forced the company to broaden its product line to maximize cost
effectiveness and fuel efficiency.
During the war years of
the 1940s, much of National's production capacity was given over
to national defense as the company manufactured insulators for shipboard
installation (pers. comm. Thomas Colletti 13 February 2001). Some
stories about the plant in the World War II era indicate that a
fence surrounded the works and armed guards patrolled the perimeter.
Sometime between 1940 and 1946, the company restyled itself as the
National Ceramic Company and, again, modified its product line to
include electrical porcelain, bathroom fixtures, and steatite (soapstone
or talc) insulators (Hudson Dispatch 1946:226). The 1950s ushered
in further changes in management and products. The 1956-57 New Jersey
Industrial Directory (315) indicates that the plant was manufacturing
porcelain electrical supplies and vitreous and semi-vitreous plumbing
fixtures. J.A. Schermerhorn, formerly the plant manager, was now
president of the company. The plant contained 2,787 square meters
(30,000 sq. ft.) of production space and provided employment for
32 males and 63 females producing steatite porcelain insulators
and ceramic insulation by the 1960s (New Jersey Industrial Directory
1966:319).
back to top At some point during
the 1960s, the company became employee-owned. However, by the mid-1970s,
the Massachusetts partnership of Lundey-Pylon, two electrical component
suppliers to National Ceramic, acquired the Trenton firm to assure
the continuance of a downstream component user. In 1976, the new
owners retained Vincent Colletti to manage the works. In the mid-1980s,
the partnership dissolved, thereupon Colletti purchased National.
Upon Vincent's death in the mid-1990s, the company's ownership passed
to his son, Thomas Colletti. The tunnel kiln was still in use during
the late 1980s, although idled three or four days per week.
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 City
Tax Assessment Map showing tunnel kiln (1960.)
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During idling, the kiln's temperature was maintained
at approximately 15000 and the kiln's waste heat employed to keep
the plant warm. But economics dictated that the kiln be discontinued
by the early 1990s and the firm acquired periodic kilns, featuring
a total of 16 cubic feet of production chambering, as a replacement
for the larger unit, which was retained in situ. (pers. comm. Thomas
Colletti 13 February 2001). The tunnel kiln was photographed and the
image submitted as part of the historic structures survey report.
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As of 1998, Rick Miller managed the plant
and employment had dropped substantially to just 20. Estimated sales
for that year were $1 mil- lion to $4.9 million. The products for
that year were listed as "ceramic insu- lators" (Harris Infosource,
Inc. 1998:391). The plant retains its overall circa 1937 configuration,
and the company continues to manufacture its products at 500 Southard
Street. Out of ten specialty electrical porcelain manufacturers located
in Trenton, as late as the 1950s, National Ceramic Company remains
as one of only three survivors. The other remaining companies of a
once-dynamic industry are Star Porcelain and New Jersey Porcelain
(Shu man 1958:492).
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National Ceramic's modern product line includes
ceramic insulators and specialties, Steatite, Cordierite and Alumina,
coil forms, feed-throughs, stand- offs, tubes, and precision parts.
Insulators for heating applications, metallized parts, assembled components,
and wear components are also among the items produced at National.
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Contemporary National Porcelain Company electrical insulator.
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The services offered by the company include
prototype produc- tion, extrusion of shapes up to five inches in
diameter, pressing and grinding to tight tolerances, machining,
assembly, ceramic machining, pressing and extruding, assembly, prototype
production, glazing, and other specialized finishes. The firm offers
both long and short production runs based on the customer's specifications
and standards www5.thomasregister.com/ olc/natlceramics/ accessed 13 February
2001).
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Bibliography
Barber, Edwin A.
n.d. [1909] The Pottery and Porcelain of the United States.
Reprinted 1976. Feingold & Lewis Publishers, NY.
Bryant, Lewis T.
1918 Industrial Directory of New Jersey. Bureau of Industrial
Statistics, Department of Labor, Trenton, New Jersey.
City of Trenton
1936-1960's (ca.) City of Trenton, N.J. Tax Assesment Department
Records. On file, Trentoniana Division, Trenton Public Library,
Trenton, New Jersey.
Garrison, Winton C.
1909 Industrial Directory of New Jeresey. Bureau of Statistics
of New Jersey, Trenton, New Jersey.
1912 Industrial Directory of New Jeresey. Bureau of Statistics
of New Jersey, Trenton, New Jersey.
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Harrison Infosource, Inc.
1998 Official New Jeersey Manufactureres Directory 98.
Harris lnfosource, Twinsburg, Ohio.
Hudson Dispatch
1946 Industrial Directory of New Jersey. Hudson Dispatch,
Union City, New Jersey.
New Jersey Industrial Directory….
1966 New Jersey State Industrial Directory. n. p., New
York, New York.
New Jersey Secretary of State
1914 Corporations of New Jersey List of Certificates to December
31, 1911. Secretary of State, Trenton, New Jersey.
Sears, Roebuck & Co.
1908 Catalog No. 117 reprinted from original in 1971, DBI Books,
Inc., Northfield, Illinois.
Shumon, Eleanore Nitlan
1958 The Trenton Story. MacCrellish & Quigley Company,
Trenton, New Jersey.
Stern, Marc Jeffery
1994 The Pottery Industry of Trenton: A Skilled Trade in Transition,
1850- 1929. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Trenton Sunday Times Advertiser
1922 "Trenton-Made Cables Used in New Southard Street Bridge, Marvel
of Engineering Skill." April 22, 1922.
Toobey, Jr., John J.
1934 The Industrial Directory of New Jersey. Bureau of
Statistics and Records, New Jersey State Department of Labor, Trenton,
New Jersey.
1940 The Industrial Directory of New Jersey. Bureau of
Statistics and Records, New Jersey State Department of Labor, Trenton,
New Jersey.
Personal Communication
2001 Thomas Colletti, president of National Ceramic, 13 February
2001.
Websites consulted
http:IIwww.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/issuyear.htm
accessed 13 February 2001.
http://www5.thomasregister.com/olc/natlceramics/
accessed 13 February 2001.
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A new Lenox China table service was unveiled at a dinner in celebration of
the 200th anniversary of the White House last November, bringing
to five the total of services made by Lenox to serve the nation's
guests over the past 82 years. Lenox China, which was founded in
Trenton as the Ceramic Art Company in 1889, is headquartered in
Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The factory where the new china was made
is in Pomona, New Jersey, near Atlantic City. Lenox opened the Pomona
factory in 1954.
The new service, designed by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
and Timothy Carder, Lenox's Vice-President of Design, features a
pastel yellow border decorated with white scrolls, flowers, and
wreaths adapted from architectural details in the State Dining Room,
East Room, and Diplomatic Reception Room. Each piece of the service's
12-piece place setting is a little different from the others. The
wide, deeply etched gold border of the service plate surrounds a
large gold portrait of the White House in the center. The same view
of the building is shown in smaller size in the borders of other
plates in the service.
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The design of the new service departs from tradition in several
ways. Pastel yellow for the border is quite different from the deep,
dark colors of previous services. Choice of the new color was based
in part on the hue chosen by Mrs. John F. Kennedy for a service
(never made) just before her husband's assassination. For the new
service, the Presidential Seal, which was prominently displayed
on the four previous Lenox services, has been replaced with the
image of the White House. The use of a different pattern on each
piece is also a new approach.
The service consists of three hundred place settings, the largest
number ever made for the White House. Previous Lenox China services
were made during the administrations of Woodrow Wilson (1918), Franklin
Roosevelt 1934), Harry Truman (1951), and Ronald Reagan (1981).
White House china continues to be used by subsequent administrations,
despite being named for the president who orders it. The Reagan
Service, for example, has been used in the White House since 1981,
but its smaller size (only 220 place settings) was insufficient
for some state dinners.
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The Potteries of Trenton Society has
received a grant from the New Jersey
Historical Commission to reissue From
Teacups to Toilets: A Century of Ceramic
Manufacture in Trenton, New Jersey,
1850-1940. Initally created as a teacher's
guide by Hunter Research and Wilson
Creative Marketing for the New Jersey
Department of Transportation, the guide is
of interest to educators and the general
public alike for the information it contains
on Trenton's ceramic past.
As part of the reprint effort, POTS will
make some some minor editorial changes
to the booklet. A minimum of
2500 copies will be printed. In keeping
with the spirit of the first printing, where the
New Jersey Department of Transportation
distributed the booklet free of charge to
interested educators, the second edition
will also be made available at no charge.
All members of the Potteries of Trenton
Society will automatically receive a copy of
the booklet, and copies will be distributed
to others interested in Trenton's ceramic
past.
POTS is hoping to have the Teacups
reprint complete by the end of the summer.
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Lectures
David Goldberg recently spoke at Ellarslie, the Trenton City Museum, on Trenton's ceramic industry. His lecture was part of the Senator Joseph P. Merlino Lecture Series, sponsored by the Trenton Museum Society and the Potteries of Trenton Society.
Heritage Days
The Potteries of Trenton Society plans to participate in this year's Heritage Days by identifying ceramic pieces brought in by visitors. Look for Heritage Days publicity and advertisements for more information
on where POTS will be located and when ceramic identifications will be available.
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Historical Archaeology of Colonial New Jersey
The New Jersey State Museum is
showing "The Historical Archaeology of
Colonial New Jersey." The exhibit, co-
sponsored by the New Jersey Department
of Transportation, illustrates how historical
archaeology contributes to our knowledge
of New Jersey's colonial past. The exhibit
combines artifacts, historical documents,
historic maps, and archaeological
excavation records to document New
Jersey at the time of the American
Revolution.
One site represented in the exhibit is
William Richard's stoneware kiln,
encountered during archaeological
monitoring of the N.J. Route 29 highway
project in Trenton (see Trenton Potteries,
Vol.1: 3). Visitors will see a sampling of
artifacts recovered from the kiln, as well a
photographs of the kiln during excavation.
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Newsletter of the Potteries of Trenton Society
120 W. State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
Phone: 609-695-0122
Fax: 609-695-0147
Email
POTS for more information. Please note, however, that we are not
able to identify, appraise, or provide information on ceramic objects.
Visitors to the site should consult with an appraiser or antique dealer.
Thank You.
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