Phoenixville Art Exhibit Honors Borough's Pottery Past

The Phoenixville Potteries factory may be long gone from its home at the corner of Starr and Church streets, but its contribution to the world of decorative art continues to captivate and surprise people.

The Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area (HSPA) highlights the Etruscan Majolica line of pottery produced by Griffin, Smith and Hill between 1879 and 1890 with a new exhibit at its museum at 204 Church Street in Phoenixville.

The exhibit, “Etruscan Majolica: Phoenixville’s Victorian Art - Made by Griffin, Smith & Hill, Co. - The Story of the Phoenixville Company that Produced Lasting Decorative Art,” opens with a special celebration free and open to the public, Friday, April 3 at 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will last through July 2015.

Majolica uses raised-pattern, soft-clay pottery to depict natural scenes, such as flowers, birds and fish, and is covered with a bright-colored or opaque white glaze.The HSPA has more than 300 items in its collection.

(Images courtesy Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area)