Sterling China was located in Wellsville Ohio, inside 12th Street and Anderson Avenue. It was formed in 1917 when Charles Pomeroy, A. B. Allen, William Wells, and Friend DeBolt purchased the Patterson Brothers pottery. They announced enlargements to the plant, the addition of a kiln, and their intention to make hotel ware using the two-fire process. A year later, there were 25 men and five women working at Sterling China.

Under the leadership of Charles Pomeroy, William Pomeroy and William Wells, Sterling continued to grow and modernize. They installed the first dipping machine in the hotel china industry and pioneered the use of “inlay” patterns in the hotel ware industry. In 1939, they employed 177 men and 80 women and by the 1950s they were one of the three largest producers of hotel and restaurant ware.

In October of 1940, the East Liverpool Review reported that “Sterling today received a $34,646 order from the war department, making it the tenth contract awarded the firm for chinaware for the United States Navy and Army.” And that wouldn’t be the last one. The Army Medial Corp placed a $38,703 order the following year.

Following WW II, Sterling produced a line of ware designed by Russell Wright. Wright was a world famous industrial designer known for his “modern” designs in ceramics and other housefold furnishings. This ware, a stark departure from the pottery’s hotel ware, was sold until 1950.

Beginning in 1951 and ending late in 1976, Sterling operated a pottery in Puerto Rico. This plant made a line of ware called Caribe China.

In 1954, Sterling, following the death of D. William Scammell, purchased Scammell China Company of Trenton, New Jersey. The Scammell plant had formerly been known as the Lamberton Works. Sterling continued to produce their line of “Lamberton China.”

The Sterling China plant closed at the end of 2003.

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