Pottery & porcelain
On vitreous china from New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States, Shenango China backstamps carry “SHENANGO CHINA / NEW CASTLE, PA.”.
1901–1991 is the New Castle china-manufacturing period. The Shenango brand continued afterward at Syracuse; refractory operations were separate and did not close with the china factory.
rwcn-idwiki-2.restaurantwarecollectors.com
c. 1905–1912
Black circular company border surrounds a clover-like interlaced emblem; no seated potter.
printed · vitreous china · New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States
c. From 1920
Detailed seated potter holding a vessel above two lines of company and place wording; USA is absent.
printed · vitreous china · New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States
c. From 1939
Circular RIMROL emblem and patent number appear above the seated potter and company wording.
printed · vitreous china · New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States
c. 1979–1987
Company name arches above a line-drawn seated potter; ANCHOR HOCKING appears below the place wording.
printed · vitreous china · New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States
Undated
Angular simplified seated-potter emblem above the name; small BY INTERPACE line below. T-34 is a separate date code.
printed · vitreous china · New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States
Shenango China was produced in New Castle, Pennsylvania, by a business founded in 1901. Its early years included financial difficulties and reorganisations. James Smith led a new ownership group in 1909, and the company purchased the neighbouring New Castle pottery in 1912. After a flood delayed the enlarged plant’s opening, production resumed there in May 1913. Hotels, restaurants and institutions became its principal market.
The factory made decorated and plain commercial china, often carrying a customer’s name or emblem. From 1936 it also manufactured Theodore Haviland dinnerware for the American market. Castleton became another important part of the business, producing fine dinnerware that included Eva Zeisel’s Museum shape. The company’s seated-potter emblem appeared in many forms, while product names such as RimRol and Inca Ware distinguished particular lines.
The corporate name changed to Shenango China, Inc. in 1954. Interpace acquired the business in 1968 and sold the plant to Anchor Hocking in 1979. Further transfers brought it under Newell, Canadian Pacific and then Pfaltzgraff. The New Castle china plant closed in December 1991, and its equipment was auctioned the following year. Shenango-branded china subsequently continued to be made at Syracuse, so the factory closure does not date every object bearing the name.
Also known as: Shenango Pottery · Shenango Ceramics · Shenango China, Inc. · Shenango China Company / Shenango Pottery Company / Shenango China, Inc.
Syracuse and Shenango became related under later ownership, but their early production histories and mark wording differ. Look for SYRACUSE or O.P.Co. versus SHENANGO and NEW CASTLE.
Shenango manufactured American Haviland wares under contract. A Haviland customer mark identifies that line rather than a separate New Castle factory.
