Bybee Pottery
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pottery |
| Founded | 1809 |
| Headquarters | 610 Waco Loop, Bybee, Kentucky, United States |
Key people | Jimmy Cornelison, Owner; Walter Cornelison, Owner; Buzz Cornelison, Owner |
Bybee Pottery, was a 200-year-old pottery company based in Bybee, a community in Madison County, Kentucky, USA. It was founded in 1809 by Webster Cornelison and members of the same Cornelison family continued to make and sell pottery until 2011. Bybee Pottery sold a wide variety of products and encouraged customers to interact with the artisans and tour the building that had survived six generations and the Civil War.[1]
Bybee Pottery was considered the oldest pottery operation in the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains. Employees procured the yellow clay from a nearby source close to the banks of the Kentucky River. A family cousin, Ron Stambaugh, owned a retail outlet that sold Bybee pottery among other items under the name, A Little Bit of Bybee.
In February 2011, Bybee Pottery laid off its eight remaining employees, sold off remaining in-store inventory, and suspended operations. While it is neither producing nor selling products at this time, owners have stated that there is product formed that could be fired.[2] As of 2019 new pieces are still being produced, but at a much smaller rate, and sold out of a new shop in Middletown, Kentucky.[3]
References
- ^ Eblen, Tom (2009-02-22), "Bybee Pottery celebrates 200 years", Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved on February 23, 2009.
- ^ Robinson, Bill (2011-05-31), "After two centuries, Bybee Pottery now facing its toughest challenge", Richmond Register. Retrieved on June 12, 2011.
- ^ Carlson, John (13 March 2019), "It's Bye-Bye Bybee", Muncie Journal, Muncie, Indiana