Dodge Pottery Discoveries

Significance of the Discoveries

The remarkable discoveries of a massive collection of 19th-century red earthenware artifacts and family objects that descended in the Dodge family of Maine and Massachusetts, emerged thanks to an initial article published in Antiques and The Arts Weekly in the summer of 2022, bringing to light pieces preserved directly through the multigenerational Chase and Goold families of Portland, Maine. The emergence of this collection provides rare, undeniable physical proof connecting family heirlooms to the Dodge Pottery line, including Benjamin Dodge Sr. (1774–1838) and Benjamin Dodge Jr. (1802–1875). Prior to this discovery, historical details regarding the exact output of the Dodge workshop were obscured by time and urban development. By showcasing an array of slip-decorated lidded spice jars, a uniquely molded plate, and a large vibrant glazed utility jar, the discovery serves as an anchor confirming the immense scale, sophisticated design variations, and long-term domestic dominance of the Dodge family’s early Maine red earthenware production along the state’s coastline.

Crucially, the information from that initial article—later expanded upon by information obtained privately from Dodge descendants, published as part of a three-part series for Antiques and The Arts Weekly—weaves these physical artifacts into a rich tapestry of descendant-owned genealogical and historical records. This information unites the Chase, Dodge, and Goold families through marriage and trade. At the heart of this history is a vital 19th-century manuscript by Portland store owner William Goold (1809–1890), whose firsthand writings offer a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Dodge Pottery, even capturing humorous anecdotes about local boys intentionally distorting the clay faces on the drying vessels. Complementing these papers is a historic needlework sampler hand-sewn in 1818 by 13-year-old Abigail Dodge, the daughter of Portland potter Benjamin Dodge Sr. Descending directly through the family line to its current owners, this vital piece of history acts as an archive by meticulously recording family births and marriages alongside a stitched inscription documenting the exact date of the catastrophic 1822 fire that destroyed the early Dodge workshop.

Combined with personal family ephemera—including the Civil War-era passports of North Yarmouth-born shipwright Albert Chase, family Bibles, and an 1808 leather journal belonging to Josiah Goold—this preserved history underscores the profound cultural, economic, and maritime networks that supported early Maine artisans. Ultimately, it elevates the Dodge Pottery lineage to its rightful status as one of the most culturally significant and historically rich red earthenware businesses in early New England.

Publication of Maine Book

These foundational family collections and the unique stylistic markers brought to light in the three-part series served as direct source material for the deeper exploration of regional trade networks. The text specifically notes that Albert Chase was born in North Yarmouth in 1834 to Samuel Chase and Abigail Dodge Chase (daughter of Benjamin Dodge Sr.), explicitly charting the physical and familial migration of these potting dynasties between Portland and the North Yarmouth area.

By analyzing the specific forms highlighted in the Chase-Goold collection—such as the distinct slip-decorated jars, vibrant glazes, and numeric stamping—the study contextualizes how styling techniques and workshop habits crossed town borders. This research expands upon this cross-town genealogy to demonstrate how the extensive red earthenware industry at North Yarmouth Corner grew alongside and intertwined with the Dodge Pottery of Portland. Ultimately, these articles supplied the precise biographical threads, descendant-owned family records, and cataloged pieces required to weave these separate local histories into a cohesive, comprehensive narrative of Maine’s early ceramic legacy. This body of work was eventually published in 2023 in the book, From One Town Came Many: The Red Earthenware Industry of Ancient North Yarmouth, Maine.

Read more about this:

Antiques & the Arts Weekly (July 8, 2022) – “Rare Red Earthenware Urn Discovered at Newburyport Estate Auction”

Antiques & the Arts Weekly (August 5, 2022) – “A Group of Important Objects From The Dodge Family, Portland, Maine”

Antiques And The Arts Weekly (November 4, 2022) – “Group Of Important Objects From the Chase & Goold Families, Portland, Maine”

Studied as part of this three-part series, these are some of the historical objects that are privately owned by New England descendants of the Dodge Pottery line. Each piece has descended directly from Benjamin Dodge Sr., the foundational patriarch of the family’s historic manufacturing business in Portland, Maine.