Over 100 Potters Showcase their Work in our Beautiful, Rustic Retail Pottery Barn Conveniently Located in a High Traffic Tourist Area in the Heart of The Berkshires.
We are Always Looking for New Lines.
Please contact Diane at 888.774.2529 (888.SPI-CLAY) or email : [email protected]
Welcome to American Made Pottery! We are the Online Retail Pottery Showroom of Sheffield Pottery, located in The Berkshires, in Sheffield, Massachusetts. Sheffield Pottery is the premier destination for all potters, ceramicists, art-lovers, skeptics, enthusiasts, and people that all-around love and have a passion for Clay. Please visit www.Sheffield-Pottery.com for many more products in the realm of ceramics. A little about our History: In the fall of 1943, Joseph and
Marie Cowen, newly married , purchased a large farm near the Housatonic
River. They raised cows, chickens, and sheep, and sold produce at
their roadside farm stand. After seeing an article about pottery in a
family magazine, Joe and Marie hauled a bucket of clay from the clay
pit on their land to see if they could use this resource to make a
living. From Marie's first cup and Joe's first saucer came the
beginnings of the present-day Sheffield Pottery, Inc.
Joe and Marie Cowen featured in Redbook Magazine Circa 1949.
Clearing out the animals in 1946, the Cowens turned the barn
into a small showroom, selling handmade pottery fired in a 6" x 6"
kiln. The business rapidly flourished, and by December 1949, Sheffield
Pottery was featured in Redbook magazine. By 1965, while raising
three children, the Cowen's had acquired a clay mixer, pugmill, and a
large railroad-car kiln. They incorporated, added to the building
to accommodate the huge new kiln, and started selling ceramic supplies
and clays as well as their pottery, which had now established their
business as a part of the growing Berkshire tourist trade.
Sheffield Pottery
Joseph Cowen retired in 1982, turning the business over to his
youngest son, John, who is now President of Sheffield Pottery,
Inc. John began almost at once to change the focus of the company
toward becoming a high-quality ceramics supplier. A new warehouse went
up in 1983, to allow the storage of much larger quantities of dry
materials, both for sale and for use in the ever-growing numbers of
stock and custom moist clay bodies. A new delivery truck was soon
on the road throughout the northeast, delivering regularly to customers
from Maine to Long Island.
In
1993, a 14,000 square foot production, processing and warehouse
facility was completed. Attached to the existing warehouse, it
allowed us to offer one of the largest stocking quantities of dry
materials in the Northeast. New moist clay production equipment
and systems were added as well, to increase our production to meet
demand, while still maintaining our rigid quality control standards.
During 2000 and 2001 a third major expansion was undertaken, offering 12,000 additional
square feet of production, storage, and loading docks. The fleet of
trucks has grown to three, including a tractor trailer truck and a
crane unloading system. Our custom-built, computer controlled dry
batching system assures accurate formula preparation. We have installed
the finest mixing technology available by using an Erich high intensive
mixer
 The
move of all the clay production from the original barn to the new
addition has allowed for the beginning of a renovation and expansion of
our retail showrooms. The ceramic supplies and retail pottery are both
being given their own enlarged spaces, to enhance customer convenience.
Sheffield Pottery has built a reputation for premium quality products,
excellent customer service, and dependability, and we are looking
forward to continuing to build our history and traditions into the
years to come.
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