Clinton Street Pottery

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The Database is organized by location, but you can find a pottery initially by searching for its name, which is at the top of the of the page with dates of operation below. Alternate names and the names of other potteries on the same site are noted at the top of the right-hand column, just above the pottery’s location.

The types of wares made appear below the pottery name in the left-hand column, followed by the references that informed these classifications.

Sample images of maker’s marks may be enlarged by clicking on the image.

Notes include a variety of information compiled from many standard sources and are presented as miscellaneous tidbits.

In the Gallery and Map Gallery in the right-hand column you will see historic images and insurance maps of the pottery’s facilities if available as well as historic advertisements and images of the wares made.

You can download more detailed information in all of these categories by choosing a PDF of the pottery’s full listing, which also includes the documentary sources. The PDF is text only and does not contain any images.  Data from the 1860, 1870 and 1880 industrial censuses area also included in the PDF if they exist for a given pottery. This data gives you a picture of the size of the pottery operation and the age and gender makeup of its work force.

You can help expand the database by contributing pictures and information. Contact POTS by the email address at the bottom of the page.

In operation    1869-1883

Wares

Cream colored wareHotel chinaTablewareWhite granite

Cream-colored ware, white granite ware (Mains & Fitzgerald 1877)

White granite, c.c., and druggists’ ware, decorated ware (Industries of New Jersey 1882:173)

Notes

“In July 1869, about six years after he had started the enterprise which met with such deserved success, Mr. Coxon died. His interest passed to his widow, Mrs. Mary Coxon, who is still in the firm. Mr. Thompson retired in the spring of 1870, having sold his interest to Messrs. James E. Darrah and M.M. Bateman. The firm name was then changed to Coxon & Co. Mr. Bateman sold out to Mr. J. W. Johnson in 1874, and the later disposed of his interest to Mr. J.G. Forman, one of the members of the present firm, in April 1876, Mr. Darrah sold out to Mr. S.M. Alpaugh, also of the present firm, in November 1876. No other changes having been made since that time, consequently the firm is now composed of Mary Coxon, J.G. Forman and S.M. Alpaugh.” 

— Mains, Bishop W. and Fitzgerald, Thomas F. 1877-1879.  Mains and Fitzgerald’s Trenton, Chambersburg and Millham Directory: Containing the Names of the Citizens, Statistical Business Report, Historical Sketches, a List of the Public and Private Institutions, Together with National, State, County, and City Government.  Bishop W. Mains & Thomas F. Fitzgerald, Trenton, New Jersey.

 

Selected References

Mains, Bishop W. and Fitzgerald, Thomas F. 1877-1879.  Mains and Fitzgerald’s Trenton, Chambersburg and Millham Directory: Containing the Names of the Citizens, Statistical Business Report, Historical Sketches, a List of the Public and Private Institutions, Together with National, State, County, and City Government.  Bishop W. Mains & Thomas F. Fitzgerald, Trenton, New Jersey.

“The Pottery Enterprise.” Trenton State Gazette, March 8, 1880.

Woodward, E.M. and John F. Hageman. 1883.  History of Burlington and Mercer Counties.  Everts and Peck, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Trenton Board of Trade. 1900.  Industrial Trenton and Vicinity.  George A. Wolf Publishers, Wilmington, Delaware.

Van Hoesen, Walter Hamilton. 1973.  Crafts and Craftsmen of New Jersey.  Associated University Presses, Inc., Cranbury, New Jersey.

Goldberg, David J. 1998.  Preliminary Notes on the Pioneer Potters and Potteries of Trenton, N.J.: The First Thirty Years – 1852 – 1882 (And Beyond).  Privately published, Trenton, New Jersey.

Other firms at this site:

Other Names

Clinton Street Pottery; Coxon & Company

Block and Lot:
39-1B/1

Historic Street Address:
Clinton Avenue on Belvidere and Delaware Railroad; Clinton Avenue on Perry Street; North Clinton Avenue corner of Ott Street

Municipality:
City of Trenton

Map Gallery

Coxon & Company, 1875 Everts & Stewart
Coxon & Company, 1881 Robinson Map
Coxon & Company, 1882 Haven Map
Map References

Everts & Stewart.  1875  Combination Atlas Map of Mercer County. Everts and Stewart, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  (Shown as “Pottery”)

Robinson, E., and R. H. Pidgeon. 1881. Atlas of the City of Trenton and Suburbs New Jersey: From Actual Surveys and Official Records.  E. Robinson, New York, New York.  (Plate K: shown as “Clinton St. Pottery Coxon & Co.”)

Haven, C. C.  1882.   A New Real Estate and Insurance Map of the City of Trenton Including Chambersburg, Millham, and Parts of Ewing, Lawrence, and Hamilton Townships, Mercer County. E.P. Noll & Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   (Shown as “Clinton Street Pottery – Coxon & Co.”)

1870 Census

Name in censusCoxon & Co.
Capital Invested60000
Type of power 1Hand
Raw material type 1Clay
Raw material quantity 1250 tons
Raw material value 15000
Raw material type 2Minerals
Raw material type 3Acids
Raw material type 4Lead
Raw material type 5Cobalt
Raw material type 6Coal
Raw material type 7Total
Raw material quantity 2260 tons
Raw material quantity 32400 lbs
Raw material quantity 430 tons
Raw material quantity 5100 tons
Raw material quantity 61000 tons
Raw material value 25200
Raw material value 3600
Raw material value 44000
Raw material value 5400
Raw material value 65000
Product type 1W.G. & C.C., Crockery Ware
Product type 11700 Packages
Product value 168373
Male hands above 1625
Female hands above 1611
Children14
Yearly wages25000
Months operating9

1880 Census

Name in censusCoxon & Co.
Capital150000
Number of hands165
Males above 16110
Females above 1535
Children20
May to Nov hours8
Nov to May hours8
Skilled wages2.5
Ordinary wages1.25
Total wages in year65000
Full time months12
Value of raw material45000
Value of product200000
Number of engines1
Horse power130