Southern Potteries Blue Ridge

In the early 1900s, Erwin, Tennessee was just a sleepy, small Southern town. It was fortunate, however, to have the Carolina Clinchfield and Ohio railroad running through it as the railroad company decided to try to promote industry along its route. Erwin, not only had the railroad line, but also was blessed with deposits of Kaolin clay and Feldspar, necessary ingredients in pottery making. The combination of the two led to the formation of a pottery business known as Clinchfield Pottery in 1917.

The Clinchfield Pottery imported pottery workers from England, as well as Ohio and Virginia. Houses were built near the factory to rent to the workers. The products created at the pottery continued the tradition of using decals or transfer ware to decorate its products initially.

In 1920, a charter was issued for the formation of Southern Potteries Inc., thus changing the Clinchfield name to Southern Potteries. By 1938, the owner, Charles Foreman, introduced a new technique of hand painting under glaze thus abandoning the previous traditional approach of using decals. In addition to the change in technique, Foreman began recruiting girls and women from the local area and trained them to hand paint the colorful designs. Their lack of formal artistic training and the uniqueness that comes from individual hand painting led to the wonderful primitive, sometimes, whimsical designs. Blue Ridge dinnerware was born.

The company flourished for years with the aid of a national ad campaign and showrooms scattered around the country, becoming one of the nation's most successful dinnerware companies. The advent of World War II further increased the popularity of the company's products when imports, the bulk of the dinnerware sold in the States at the time, were cut off.

After the war ended, imports started flooding back and plastic dinnerware also became popular. The 1950s saw a decline in pottery businesses throughout the United States. By 1957, Southern Potteries Inc. decided to shut down.

The popularity of the Blue Ridge dinnerware lived on through collectors, but has waxed and waned over the years.

(Photo of the Carolina Clinchfield and Ohio train courtesy of Mr. Cy Crumley )

The early pottery produced bore the Clinchfield name along with SPI for Southern Potteries Inc., then the Clinchfield was dropped and a script mark stating "Hand Painted Underglaze, S.P.I., Erwin, Tenn." came into use. It wasn't until about 1932 or 1933 that the name Blue Ridge was incorporated into the script.

The two most well-known marks are the script mark, "Blue Ridge, Hand Painted, Underglaze, Southern Potteries, Inc., Made in U.S.A." or its variant with "Blue Ridge China", and the circular mark shown in the photo with the Blue Ridge Mountains and pine tree included.

You will find numerous pieces, however, that were not marked at all. There is also a line of Italian pottery which closely resembles some of the Blue Ridge floral patterns. Although these pieces are often marked Italy, be careful to assure you are purchasing authentic Blue Ridge pieces.

(Image from my inventory photos)

Not only could one buy a complete set of dinnerware in a Blue Ridge pattern, but many other serving pieces and accessories were also produced, although not in all patterns. One could purchase water pitchers, celery dishes, maple leaf shaped cake plates, platters, egg cups, divided plates, casseroles, syrup jugs, batter pitchers, tiles, ashtrays, ramekins, serving utensils, etc.

In the mid-1940s, a selection of 40 pieces of Blue Ridge China was also produced. This line of Blue Ridge was a more expensive line made of fine quality vitreous china. The patterns used were similar to the original Blue Ridge, and some were even the same. This line included teapots and coffee pots with matching creamers and sugars, chocolate pots, a variety of pitchers and jugs, vases, bon bon trays, platters in shell, leaf, and other shapes, egg plates, celery dishes, salt and pepper shakers, covered boxes, and children's plates.

Although the vast majority of Blue Ridge patterns appear to be floral, there were a number of other themes produced. You can surely find something to suit your taste. If you don't care for the florals, choose from fruits, birds, people, animals, circus themes, square dancers, trees, Bamboo, Christmas, homestead scenes, Asian inspired themes, fish, plaids and patterns, and French Quimper inspired designs, such as the French Peasant pattern shown in this photo.