DanielSeagle.com

"A 70-Year Tradition of Pottery Making in the Catawba Valley"

Introduction

This Web site was established in October, 2008, to boost awareness of Daniel Seagle (1805-1867), the first master potter of the Catawba Valley in the Backcountry of North Carolina.  The purposes of the site are:

• To celebrate the high standards of quality pottery production maintained by Daniel Seagle and the Seagle “School” of potters whom he taught
• To provide information to the public (especially genealogical enthusiasts, students and educators) about the Seagle potters and their 70-year tradition of pottery making
• To further research on Daniel Seagle and the Seagle School by providing a tool for DanielSeagle.com readers to submit their stories, information, anecdotes, photos, letters, etc.  (To contribute to this research project, go to the “Contact Us” page by clicking here.)
• To share information and results of recent Seagle School pottery sales at auctions.

As it comes available, new information about the Seagles will be posted on the site.

Where to See Seagle Pottery

You can find Seagle School pottery exhibited at the following locations in North Carolina:

• In Charlotte, NC -- The Mint Museum of Craft + Design has a large collection of N.C. pottery--more than 2,000 pieces.  (Admission charged.  Free admission on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. & the 3rd Thursday of the month from 5 to 8 p.m.)
  
  You can see a Daniel Seagle meat storage jar (ca. 1830) on this page of the Mint Museum's "N.C. Pottery Hall of Fame."
  
  
• In Lincolnton, NC -- The Lincoln County Museum of History has "about seven to 10 Daniel Seagle pieces on display at any given time," according to Historic Preservation Consultant Jason L. Harpe.
  
  
• In Newton, NC -- The Catawba County Museum of History has a 10-gallon Daniel Seagle pot, along with other examples from the long tradition of Catawba Valley pottery making.  (Free admission.)
  
  
• In Seagrove, NC -- The NC Pottery Center has a 4-gallon Daniel Seagle storage jar displayed in its permanent collection.  (Admission charged.)
  
  
• In Winston-Salem, NC -- The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) at Old Salem Museums & Gardens has a five-gallon Daniel Seagle storage jar and an Isaac Lefevers jug in the Piedmont Gallery.  You can see this pottery during guided tours.  (Admission charged.)
  
  --Photo Credit:  Photo above of Daniel Seagle storage jar courtesy of Case Antiques, Knoxville, Tennessee.
  

"Apparently, (the Seagle School potters) were obsessive, absolute perfectionists.  They had to turn bold, well-trimmed forms with neatly-balanced rims and handles and rich,
even, flowing glazes."

--Dr. Charles G. "Terry" Zug III, author, Turners & Burners: The Folk Potters of North Carolina