William Brunt Jr.

If it wasn’t for William Brunt, Jr., The Museum of Ceramics may not exist — at least not at its current location. One of our town’s pioneer pottery barons, Brunt donated his residential property, at 400 East Fifth Street, for the building of a federal post office.. It was opened in June of 1909, just four months after its benefactor’s death. In 1969, the state of Ohio purchased the property to create a museum showcasing the pottery history of the town.. The museum opened in 1980..

The following is an excerpt from the Thursday, February 11, 1909 edition of The Evening Review (pages 1. 5) detailing Brunt’s life.. “After a brave, but unsuccessful battle with the death angel, in which his perseverance and courage alone staved off the arrival of the fatal moment, William Brunt one of the city’s most prominent citizens and pioneer pottery manufacturer, died at his residence on Carolina Avenue, Chester, W. Va., at 12:38 o’clock this morning. William Brunt was in his seventy-eighth year. With the remembrance of his characteristic integrity, honesty and progressiveness, William Brunt will stand foremost, in the minds of the public as one of the greatest men that ever resided in East Liverpool. His generosity and kindness for his fellow man earned for him the respect and love of all his intimate friends. His greetings for even a stranger increased his acquaintances and his death has brought sadness into hundreds of homes. His fair dealing in commercial transactions created for him a record that will stand unimpaired. His standing in the financial and commercial world was the highest. In the death of William Brunt, East Liverpool mourns the loss of one of the pioneer pottery manufacturers of the city. One of the most progressive men who ever associated themselves with the manufacture of crockery. His name and pottery are synonymous in East Liverpool. The name of Brunt in connection with the pottery industry is known from one end of the United States to the other. The history of his early life is one of worthy emulation. His tribulations were his own. His troubles were known to no one but himself. His half-retiring disposition was a valuable asset in business transactions. His kindness to his workmen and his associates bore no better tribute than the manner in which they mourn today. The struggle for the foundation and establishment of American crockery in the United States was one of the greatest fights of the early ‘50’s. There was no more prominent figure in this almost war than William Brunt. In his commercial and financial experiences William Brunt did not confine himself exclusively to the pottery business. With his everlasting love for progress he branched out into the world of business. He was a lover of experience and he was practically one of the most experienced men in this section of the state. He was one of the most public-spirited citizens in East Liverpool. In almost every important affair William Brunt was one of the leading spirits. His love for success led him on to even better results. To him many of the older residents owe considerable. The employment provided and the other means whereby he assisted them are still fresh in the mind of a sincere and sorrowing public. William Brunt was a patriotic citizen. In war time he was one of the first men to respond. His love of patriotism inspired this. Although of English birth he loved the American republic which had been his home for the greater part of his life. William Brunt was born of Mr. and Mrs. William Brunt, Sr., June 11, 1831 in Staffordshire, England. When William, the son, was a mere youth 10 years of age the family decided to remove to the United States. Accordingly, the possessions of this English family were packed and the members embarked for the republic. Following their arrival in New York the family decided to try their fortune in Missouri. They located in the west and after a residence of but a few years they again moved. East Liverpool, O., was the point decided upon. The family settled in this city. Besides the father and mother there were two sons and two daughters i the family. The possibilities of the pottery business in the United States was soon realized by the elder Mr. Brunt. He had seen the wonders of this important industry illustrated in England and his experience taught him that it would be successful in this country. Plans were formed for the erection of a plant in this city. A foundation was dug on East Third Street, near the present Chester bridge. However, a deal was put through whereby the Brunts sold the property without erecting the pottery. Within a short time after this attempt the father decided to construct a pottery near the present site of the Riverside Knob works. The building was duly erected for the manufacture of Rockingham and yellow ware. This product was put out by the plant for some time. Later the company decided to manufacture knobs and made a success of it. As a primary step to this branch of the business all the ware in the plant was sold to one Henry Speeler, later a prominent potter of Trenton, N.J. The 1852 flood wrought havoc to the property of the company here. The gold excitement in the California fields was in its prime at this period. The exodus to the southwestern country had inspired the whole country. The revelations coming from the far-off state reached William Brunt. In 1854 accompanied by William Bloor, a brother-in-law, William Brunt decided to make the trip overland to the California gold fields. The two men accordingly left this city, determined to try their luck in the bonanza belt. They reached the southwest and went through the many experienced of that remarkable period in United States history. The scenes and other features of the gold excitement were thoroughly enacted before them. The experience gained in this trip was a powerful asset to the venerable potter in the later years. After remaining in this state for two years the two men returned to East Liverpool. Brunt had acquired a fortune of $5,000 (over $147,000 today). Following his return to the east, William Brunt again became interested in the pottery business, as well as Miss Adaline Hill, whom he married in March of 1857. He associated with the William Brunt & Bro. knob works. This firm continued doing business until 1862, when William Brunt withdrew and secured possession of what was then the Phoenix pottery, but is now known, and still in his possession, as the William Brunt Pottery company. When the Civil war broke out and the strife between the north and south was inevitable, Mr. Brunt with his true patriotic spirit enlisted and later became captain of Co. I. 143rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. W.H. Vodrey, of this city, was colonel of the regiment. The Riverside Knob works, operated by the family, is now known as the George F. Brunt Porcelain works. The present William Brunt Pottery company’s plant was formerly the Phoenix and previous to this was the Woodward and Blakely pottery. The original plant was erected in 1857 and was in operation for 10 years. William Bloor, the brother-in-law of Mr. Brunt purchased an interest in the Woodward and Blakely pottery at a sheriff’s sale in 1859. The plant was then operated in the manufacture of vitrified china by Mr. Bloor. Mr. Bloor withdrew from the active operation of the plant when Mr. Brunt secured possession four years later. Yellow ware was the product turned out by Mr. Brunt. This same product was made until about 1870. White granite was the substitute. The plant was continued under Mr. Brunt until it is now among the foremost concerns in the city. The success of the operations of the plant are due entirely to the dead man. His energy and ability in the pottery business carried his product before the American people. In his early life Mr. Brunt was a musician. He was one of the organizers and a member of the first band in East Liverpool. He was elected and served as president of the East Liverpool board of education from 1868-1870. During his term as president he superintended the construction of the old central school building which was located on the present site of the high school, on Fourth street. In 1875 or 1876, Mr. Brunt with a number of other capitalists, organized the original Dresden Pottery company. The plant was then known as the Brunt-Bloor and Martin company. The owners were William Brunt, George and William Bloor, George H. Martin and S.A. Emory. Mr. Brunt was prominent in the organization of the Potters’ Mining and Milling company in this city. He has held the office of president of this company and at the time of his demise was one of the directors. In the financial world Mr. Brunt was a prominent character. His wonderful power of organization and activity along those lines was the real cause of the organization of one of the greatest banking institutions in the city, the Potters National bank, which later became The Potters Bank & Trust, Co. Mr. Brunt was the originator of this banking house with resources of $111,300. Upon the organization of the institution in July, 1881, he was elected president and continuously held that office up until the time of his death. Fellow Civil war veteran, Colonel John Taylor, served as the first vice- president.” [JB, SMW]

William Brunt Jr.

Brunt as a Captain of the Co. I. 143rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry

A doorknob made at the Brunt Knob Works. Exhibited at the Museum of Ceramics

Brunt Knob Works Employees. Photo from the archives of the Museum of Ceramics.