Village Potters Kate Hevers and Mark Presher work on-site during the Museum’s regular season (May – October) crafting unique ceramic pieces and educating visitors about their materials and methods. Once or twice a year the woodfire kiln is bricked up, lit, and stoked continuously for several hours. The end temperature reaches nearly 2300°, which matures the clay, turns the cobalt decoration to the traditional blue, and creates a glazed surface by introducing salt into the fire box during the last hour of firing. Salt glazing has its origins in Germany around 1520, and the technology was brought to this region by German potters. Stoneware vessels were a kitchen essential used primarily for long-term storage of food as well as everyday use.

Each piece of GCV&M pottery is unique, and the potters produce a variety of styles including Salt Glazed Stoneware, Albany Slip, Bristol, and Redware. The materials used to create the pottery are locally sourced, and each design featured on pottery references historical markings on ceramic pieces from the New York State region in the 19th century. In addition to being available for purchase in the Museum’s Flint Hill Store, GCV&M pottery is used in historic homes throughout the Historic Village to add to the
authenticity of interpretation of 19th-century life and historic foodways.

All GCV&M pottery uses non-toxic glazes, is dishwasher safe, oven safe, and microwave safe. Drastic changes in temperature can damage the pottery – it is recommended that stoneware be left to cool before refrigerating, and put in the oven for the pre-heating process in order to come up to temperature gradually. Questions? Contact info@gcv.org or call (585) 538-6822.

Pottery is available for sale at the Flint Hill Store at GCV&M, as well as in the Museum’s Online Store year-round.