Samuel Wilson

Initially trained in Albany, New York, between 1813 and 1816, Samuel Wilson appears to have been associated with Benjamin DuVal and John P. Schermerhorn in the manufacture of stoneware in Richmond by 1817. Documentary evidence shows Wilson producing “Stone Ware of all kinds.” Recent archaeological evidence points to his work at the Four Mile Creek potteries in southeast Henrico County, Virginia. His professional and familial associations with Schermerhorn suggest subsequent involvement at the Mechanicsville Turnpike Pottery as well. Although historical details about Wilson are scanty, he remains a critically important player in the region’s developing stoneware production, a role yet to be fully understood or appreciated.