Marks and Decorations at the John Landrum Pottery Site

In the Old Edgefield District of South Carolina alkaline glazed stoneware was made at the pottery of Reverend John Landrum in the first half of the 19th century. He was joined there by his son, B.F. Landrum, son-in-law Lewis Miles, and enslaved workers, including a man named Dave, who probably served as a turner. Itinerant white potters such as Cyrus Cogburn, Abram Massey, and James Kirbee also worked there before joining the Western Migration. Of the thousands of pottery sherds excavated at the site only a handful were marked or decorated. These are comprehensively documented in this publication with 160 full color photographs. This will be a useful tool for archaeologists and collectors to help attribute and date vessels and sherds that share the marks used here.

Author Biography

Carl Steen was born in Charleston, SC. He received a BA from the University of South Carolina and an MA from the College of William and Mary. He is a professional archaeologist, and has studied imported and domestic pottery since the 1980s.