In a message dated 5/18/2000 8:34:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
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<< Greetings!

 Working for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, we at Hunter
Research have discovered a well-preserved stoneware pottery kiln dating from
the 1770s and 1780s. The remains of the kiln were encountered during routine
monitoring of construction on N. J. Route 29 in Trenton.

 Historical research shows that William Richard, a Trenton and Philadelphia
entrepreneur, leased the property in 1765, and by 1774 he had built "a
manufactory at Lamberton...for making the useful Dutch stone ware." In 1778
he advertised for a potter who knew how to make stone ware. He died in 1787,
and his pottery probably ceased to function at that time.

 The 16-by-9 foot kiln is very well preserved. A large quantity of stone ware
wasters were found at the site, many of them decorated with Richard's
signature motif, a blue, double-lobed flower. A sherd marked "WR" (William
Richards) has also been recovered.

 We are very interested in locating information on other early stone ware
kilns in the U.S. Can anyone help?

 Patricia Madrigal
 Principal Investigator/Data Manager
 Hunter Research, Inc., Trenton, NJ
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  >>

Patricia-- I presume that you have already looked at Sarah P Turnbaugh's book
"Domestic Pottery of the Northeastern US" Academic Press 1985 (?)
Georgianna Greer's "American Stonewares" also has good info on kilns.
Gerald Keith Landreth did a thesis on the Trapp-Chandler kiln (c. 1850) in
Edgefield SC (Univ. of Iowa--1980)
I have conducted two surveys of pottery production sites in Edgefield aimed
at identifying associated wares, but have not excavated kilns...
Linda Carnes McNaughton has done extensive work in NC on pottery kilns.
Susan Myers book "From Handicraft to Industry" pub. by the Smithsonian Inst.
is also an excellent sorce, and directly applicable to your work (focuses on
Philadelphia)
There are many sources available.
Good luck
Carl Steen