Traces the heritage of pottery which has been made in Bennington since 1785 when Captain John Norton began to produce utilitarian earthenware and stoneware. The Nortan pottery grew throughout the 19th century and gained fame for its brilliantly decorated stoneware featuring flowers, birds, and animals.

Regular pottery production ceased in 1894, though the company operated as a wholesaler until 1911. The Unisted States Pottery company (1847 - 1858) produced ornamental objects including yellowware with Rockingham and flint enamel glazes, agate and granite wares, porcelain and parian. Technically innovative, the United States Pottery Company gained national prominence when its wares were featured in the 1853 Crystal Palace Exhibition in New York City. Today visitors can learn how these various types of ceramics were made by each company and used in Victorian homes.

A study center features an encyclopedic display of production work, along with copies of primary source documents concerning the companies.

The Bennington Pottery Gallery and Study Center was funded in part with grants from the Henry Luce Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Vermont Community Foundation.

Click here to learn more about parian produced at the United States Pottery Company.