Many areas are known for their pottery and Ohio has a rich history of being home to some really spectacular potters. Sometimes the ground itself is the reason a potter sets up shop in a certain area and sometimes it is more than that.
I was thrilled to find a teapot made by Colonial Pottery Co. with a stamp of Sebring, Ohio on the bottom on eBay for a great price. My mom has lived in Sebring for the past 20 years and to have a teapot that came from that area just makes me happy. One of my Iowa friends tagged me a picture of her teapots and one was a Sebring teapot so the hunt was on.
This one is not in perfect condition but it has been well loved and that makes me smile.
The history of pottery places located in Sebring was not due to the clay soil as some might believe. Instead, according to the Sebring Historical Society, it was due to the supply of coal and water.
Sebring began as a pottery town in 1898. The process burned soft coal, and when
the wind came from the south, black soot rained all over the town. In 1902, the
sidewalk on 15th Street was one plank wide. If someone stepped off, they would
be stuck in the mud. The sidewalk between 16th and 17th streets was raised
three feet above the road. It is often believed that Sebring became a pottery town
because of the clay soil. This is not true. It was the supply of coal and water that
made Sebring the center it became. It is known that anywhere you dig in Sebring,
you hit pottery shards. In some places they sit in parking lots or driveways, just
waiting to tell us their history. Taken from www.sebringhistoricalsociety.org.
I love this teapot with all of its imperfections. The rubbed off gold, the slightly chipped spout (it still pours fabulously) and the chipped lid all make this one a well loved teapot that I am thrilled to add to my collection. I may be feeling a bit sentimental about it but that’s okay, right?
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“Teatime is by its very nature a combination of small luxuries arranged in social symmetry. And although tea for one is certainly a fine thing, the addition of a circle of dear friends to share it with ensures the whole is larger than the parts.” – Author Unknown
