Standard China Works

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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    1879-1919

Wares

ElectricalHardwareTableware

Chinaware & porcelain hardware trimmings (Woodward and Hageman 1883:693)

Porcelain trimmings (Industrial Directory 1901)

Hard porcelain; porcelain goods (Industrial Directory 1906)

Chinaware, electrical porcelain (Industrial Directory 1909)

Electrical porcelain, door knobs (Industrial Directory 1912)

Porcelain guides for textile machinery (Industrial Directory 1918)

Notes

“In 1879, W. Kimble commenced the manufacture of chinaware and porcelain hardware trimmings at works which he had erected on Prospect Street, near the Bound Brook Railroad. The manufacture of chinaware was soon dropped, and the business is now only hardware trimmings. Thirty hands are employed at this pottery, which has two kilns.”

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

Selected References

“Pottery Notes.” Trenton State Gazette, April 11, 1879.

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

Woodward, E.M. and J.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.

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

Standard China; Standard China Works; Artistic Company; Artistic China Company; Artistic Porcelain Company; Jet and Mineral Knob Company; Joseph C. Sharkey; Mitchell-Bissell Company

Block and Lot:
28-3A/156

Historic Street Address:
Prospect Street and Globe Street; Prospect Street and Pennsylvania Railroad

Municipality:
City of Trenton

Image Gallery

Standard China, 1900 Industrial Trenton (Wolf p. 81 bottom)

Map Gallery

Standard China Works, 1881 Robinson Map
Standard China Works, 1882 Haven Map
Standard China Works, 1886 Sanborn
Standard China Works, 1890 Scarlett & Scarlett
Standard China Works, 1890 Sanborn Map
Standard China Works, 1905 Lathrop
Standard China Works, 1908 Sanborn Map
Map References

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 P:  shown as “Standard China Works”)

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 “Standard Chinaware”)

Sanborn, D. A. 1874.   Insurance Diagrams of Trenton. Corrected to 1886.  D.A. Sanborn, New York, New York.  (Plate 21: shown as “Standard China Works Knob Factory W. Kimble Prop.”)

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 17: shown as “Standard China”)

Scarlett & Scarlett.  1890.   Scarlett & Scarlett’s Fire Insurance Map of Mercer County.  Scarlett & Scarlett, Newark, New Jersey.   (Plate 77B: shown as “Standard China Works”)

Lathrop, J. M. 1905.   Atlas of the City of Trenton and Borough of Princeton. A.H. Mueller & Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  (Plate 10: shown as “Standard China Co.”)

Sanborn Map Company.  1908.  Insurance Maps of the City of Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, Volume 1. Sanborn Map Company, New York, New York.  (Plate 20: shown as “Standard China”)

1880 Census

Name in censusWarren Kimble
Capital$30,000.00
Number of hands20
Males above 1616
Females above 152
Children2
May to Nov hours10
Nov to May hours10
Skilled wages$2
Ordinary wages$1
Total wages in year$6,000
Full time months3
1/2 time months6
Months idle3
Value of raw material$2,233
Value of product$10,500
Number of engines1
Horse power80