Iroquois China Company
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| China and Pottery Manufacturing | |
| Industry | Pottery |
| Genre | Restaurant dinnerware |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Founder | J. Brewster Gere and Lemont Stillwell |
| Defunct | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Syracuse, New York, United States |
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Area served
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United States |
| Products | Vitreous China tableware |
Iroquois China Company was founded in 1905 in Solvay, New York, located on the western border of Syracuse near the southern shores of Onondaga Lake. It operated in Syracuse until closing. Although some references indicate that the company closed in 1969, certain designs (e.g., "Informal", "Museum White") were advertised and sold until the early-mid 1970s.
Iroquois China Company was founded in July 1905, by J. Brewster Gere of Syracuse and Lemont Stillwell of Solvay. The company was established after a failed pottery enterprise, Syracuse China Company, went bankrupt and both the plant and equipment were offered for sale in the bankruptcy proceedings.
Gere and Stillwell decided to purchase the plant because it was offered for $27,000, a fraction of the $90,000 that Syracuse China Company paid for construction of the building. Papers of incorporation with capital of $75,000 were sent to Albany, New York, the capital of New York State in July 1905.
At that time, six carpenters were employed by the pottery. They built pottery benches and fastened the machinery and readied the plant for opening day. Three kilns were operational and it was decided that the completion of another three kilns would be withheld until the company showed profits.
Richard Sweeting was the first superintendent and made the decision to begin production before September 1, 1905.
Construction of the factory was first mentioned in local newspapers in June 1904. At that time, an enterprise named Syracuse China Company announced they were building a new plant in Solvay, New York. The contractors for masonry work, O'Connor Bros., began excavation for the foundation walls by July 1904.
Local architect, Charles E. Colton designed the plant. The factory had a capacity of 600 employees. The initial plan was the first three kilns would be placed in operation and on opening day, the company would have a workforce of about 75 men. The management also planned that it would take six months for the plant to reach full capacity. The building was constructed at a cost of $90,000 which along with equipment represented an investment of $125,000.
In January 1905, the factory was ready for production to begin and plans set in place, however, financial problems arose. A petition in involuntary bankruptcy was filed in Utica, New York, against the Syracuse China Company by Thomson, Woods & Smith, representing Stowe-Fuller Company of Cleveland, Ohio.
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Wikipedia