Museum of Ceramics (East Liverpool, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
East Liverpool Post Office
|
|
Front of the museum
|
|
 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 5th and Broadway Sts., East Liverpool, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Built | 1908 |
| Architect | James Knox Taylor |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001384 |
| Added to NRHP | November 21, 1976 |
The Museum of Ceramics is a special place in East Liverpool, Ohio. It's all about the history of ceramics (which are things made from clay and then hardened by heat, like pottery or dishes). The museum is located in what used to be the East Liverpool Post Office.
This museum shows off a huge collection of pottery and ceramic items. All these items were made right there in East Liverpool and the areas nearby. East Liverpool is often called "America's Crockery City" or "The Pottery Capital of the Nation." This is because it was once a very important place for making pottery. The museum is run by the Museum of Ceramics Foundation and the Ohio Historical Society.
Contents
Discovering East Liverpool's Pottery History
The Museum of Ceramics works hard to keep the amazing pottery history of East Liverpool alive. This area was super important for making ceramics. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, East Liverpool made more than half of all the ceramics in the United States!
Over 200 pottery factories have opened and closed in this area. The first one started in the 1840s. An English potter named James Bennett set up the very first commercial pottery here. James Bennett was the older brother of Edwin Bennett, who also became a famous potter in Baltimore.
Amazing Ceramic Collections
The museum has many cool things to see. One of the most special is the largest public display of Lotus Ware. This was a super fancy type of porcelain (a very fine ceramic). It won awards but was only made for a short time in the 1890s. It came from the Knowles, Taylor, Knowles pottery in East Liverpool.
You can also see other types of pottery. These include early Rockingham Pottery, ironstone, whiteware, yellow ware, and Victorian majolica. The museum also shows off famous items like Homer Laughlin's Fiesta dinnerware. You can also see Hall China's unique Donut teapot. Another highlight is William Bloor's 1860s Parian Ware and Craven Art Pottery vases.
The museum also has displays about how the pottery industry changed East Liverpool. It shows how making ceramics affected the people and the economy of the community and the country. Susan Weaver is the current Director of the Museum of Ceramics.
The Historic Museum Building
The museum is inside a beautiful old building. This building used to be the United States post office. It was designed by an architect named James Knox Taylor and built in 1909. The building has a special style called Beaux-Arts. This style uses grand, classic designs often seen in public buildings.
This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 21, 1976. Being on this list means it's an important place worth protecting.
Art Inside the Old Post Office
The main lobby of the museum has a cool piece of art. It's a large mural painted by Ohio artist Roland Schweinsburg. A mural is a big painting on a wall or ceiling. This one is called Old Bennett Pottery Plant and was painted in 1936.
The painting is a large, curved shape called a lunette. It's about 15 feet long! This artwork was ordered by the Treasury Relief Art Project. This project helped artists during a tough time in history by giving them work.
