Eagle Pottery

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HOW TO USE THE DATABASE

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    1879-1901

Wares

Hotel chinaPorcelainTablewareTilesToilet setsWhite granite

Fine earthenware, called “American Porcelain” (Woodward and Hageman 1883:693);

American thin porcelain, thin white granite, hotel porcelain, decorated dinner, tea and toilet-ware, also white tile for walls and bath rooms, decorated hearth and mantel tiles, etc. (Quarter Century’s Progress 1887:270);

Vitrified, thin, and hotel china, decorated table and toilet sets, and underglaze printing on pottery and porcelain (Newark Museum Association 1914:21)

Notes

“Messrs. Burroughs & Mountford manufacture extensively American thin porcelain, thin white granite, hotel porcelain, decorated dinner, tea and toilet-ware, also white tile for walls and bath rooms, decorated hearth and mantel tiles, etc. The firm’s new ware, American iron-stone china, meets the demand for a fine grade of goods at prices that place it within the reach of the humblest household.”

— Quarter-Century’s Progress of New Jersey’s Leading Manufacturing Centres. Dover. 1887. International Publishing Company, New York.

Selected References

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

“Among the Potters.” Trenton Evening Times, Sunday, November 15, 1885.

Quarter-Century’s Progress of New Jersey’s Leading Manufacturing Centres. Dover. 1887. International Publishing Company, New York.

Sunday Times Advertiser. 1905. “Elijah Mountford Dies in the West.” Scrapbook of Dr. A.S. Fell, 1902-1909. On file, Trenton Public Library, Trenton, New Jersey.

Harney, W.J. 1929. “Trenton’s First Potteries.” Sunday Times Advertiser, July 7, 14, 21 and 28, 1929.

Lehner, Lois. 1980. Complete Book of American Kitchen and Dinner Wares. Wallace-Homestead Book Company, Des Moines, Iowa.

Other firms at this site:

Other Names

Burroughs, Mountford & Company; Burroughs and Mountford; Eagle Pottery

Block and Lot:
39-1B/1

Historic Street Address:
North Clinton Avenue near Perrine Avenue; North Clinton Avenue opposite Hart Avenue

Municipality:
City of Trenton

Image Gallery

1887 Eagle Pottery (Burroughs & Mountford) (Quarter Century's Progress p.270)
1883 Eagle Pottery (Woodward & Hageman p.692)
Covered Coffee Pot; press-molded white ware with painted and gilded transfer print decoration, made by Burroughs and Mountford, 1879-1882, 7.75 in H. Collection of the New Jersey State Museum, CH1970.219.2a,b

Map Gallery

Eagle Pottery, 1881 Robinson Map
Eagle Pottery, 1882 Haven Map
Eagle Pottery, 1886 Sanborn
Eagle Pottery (Burroughs and Mountford), 1890 Scarlett & Scarlett
Eagle Pottery, 1890 Sanborn Map
Map References

Sanborn, D. A. 1874.   Insurance Diagrams of Trenton. Corrected to 1886.  D.A. Sanborn, New York, New York.  (Plate 11: shown as “Eagle Pottery Burroughs and Mountfort”)

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 “Eagle Pottery Co.”)

Sanborn‑Perris Map Company.  1890.   Insurance Maps of the City of Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey. Sanborn‑Perris Map Company, New York, New York.  (Plate 15: shown as “Burroughs & Mountford Co., Eagle Pottery”)

Scarlett & Scarlett.  1890.   Scarlett & Scarlett’s Fire Insurance Map of Mercer County.  Scarlett & Scarlett, Newark, New Jersey.   (Plate 57: shown as “Borroughs & Mountford Eagle Pottery”)

1880 Census

Name in censusBurroughs, Mountford & Co.
Capital90000
Number of hands70
Males above 1640
Females above 1510
Children20
May to Nov hours10
Nov to May hours10
Skilled wages2
Ordinary wages1.25
Total wages in year13000
Full time months6
Months idle6
Value of raw material11000
Value of product24000
Number of engines1
Horse power30