RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – A unique piece of North Carolina history will be on display this month at the Johnston County Heritage Center and Museum. On Saturday, May 17, the museum will host a special one-day exhibition and book signing event focused on Smithfield Art Pottery, produced locally between 1927 and 1942.
The exhibition will feature select works from the personal collection of Raleigh-based historian and collector Stephen Compton. His display will highlight the work of Herman Cole, a regional potter whose artistry left a mark on Carolina craftsmanship.
“Herman Cole was part of a long line of famous potters and back in the 1920s he found out about some really nice clay between Smithfield and Four Oaks near the Neuse River,” Director Todd Johnson told the WPTF Afternoon News.
Building on his background in traditional pottery, Cole entered into a partnership to help expand his operations and bring his work to a wider audience.
“He partnered with a lady named Anna Graham from New York. She was kind of the business mind and also an artist. She helped design a lot of the pottery pieces and helped sort of formulate the business plan,” said Johnson.
Located near what is now Highway 301, the original pottery site became a popular stop for travelers heading between New York and Florida.
“[The] 301, back then it was the main traffic artery between New York and Miami, so people who wintered in Florida or people who were heading North would stop in at this roadside pottery and buy these beautiful pieces,” said Johnson.
During its peak, the operation shipped out as many as 2,000 pieces of pottery each week—a remarkable feat during the economic hardships of the Great Depression.
Johnson noted that visitors to the May 17 event will have the opportunity to see rare items on loan for the day, alongside pieces in the museum’s permanent collection.
“They’ll be able to see Steve Compton’s collection just for the day, the other pieces I was talking about we do have in our permanent collection. I’ll put in a plug for another exhibit that we have, we also have the traveling exhibit on Carolina BBQ, so you can learn about pottery and BBQ history,” said Johnson.
The event will take place near the banks of the Neuse River on Highway 301. Compton will also be signing copies of his book, North Carolina’s Hillside Pottery and Smithfield Art Pottery: The Pottery With Two Names, which is available for purchase in the museum’s gift shop. Visit http://www.jcheritagecenter.org/ to learn more.