Scio Pottery

Scio Pottery of Scio, Ohio, was founded during the Great Depression and grew into one of the nation’s major manufacturers of affordable dinnerware.

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Scio Pottery of Scio, Ohio, was founded during the Great Depression and grew into one of the nation’s major manufacturers of affordable whiteware dinnerware.

History

The plant was originally built in 1919 by the Albright China Company, which operated until it shut down completely in 1927. ^{1 2 3} In 1932, Lewis P. Reese discovered the abandoned pottery while on a rabbit hunting trip in Harrison County. He purchased the property for back taxes at a sheriff’s sale, using $2,000 of his own money and borrowing another $8,000 against his life insurance policy for the down payment. ^{2 3}

In its early years, the company struggled financially, and residents of Scio helped keep it afloat. The pottery was, in that sense, a true community enterprise.

Reese also became known for his annual Christmas gifts to employees. ³ In 1933, he bought every worker a 39¢ box of chocolate-covered cherries. His generosity increased over the years. In 1945, he gave all of his employees billfolds containing a combined total of $60,000 in Christmas bonuses. The following year, Reese distributed $705,000 in bonuses.

Under Reese’s leadership, Scio Pottery expanded rapidly and, at one point, employed about 1,380 people, making it the largest employer in Harrison County for many years. The company produced simple, affordable whiteware, including cups, plates, bowls, saucers, and soup bowls.

Clay was shipped in from North Carolina. To keep prices low, the bottoms of the pieces were often left unglazed. Local historical accounts also described the use of a jigger, a large moving table that helped speed production, and recalled that the pottery could produce 24,000 dozen pieces in a single day.

Finished wares were packed in straw and shipped by rail to major customers and retailers, including Campbell Soup, Maxwell House Coffee, Ben Franklin, Woolworth’s, and Kresge. The pottery supported many local families. One later recollection held that a local teacher paid her way through college with money she earned during ten years of work at Scio Pottery.

On Dec. 11, 1947, Reese traveled to Pittsburgh with his secretary, Lena Hiller, to plan the annual employee Christmas party. ³ He had intended to distribute more than $300,000 in bonuses to workers that year. While he was away, a fire broke out at the pottery and quickly spread out of control. ^{1 2 3}

Fire departments from eight towns responded, but Reese and the community quickly committed themselves to rebuilding. As Reese declared, “Remembering that in the ashes lay the means of livelihood and the hopes of a whole community. We’ll build her up again, better than before.” ²

The next day, hundreds of people arrived with wheelbarrows to clear debris from the site. ³ Others came with shovels. Among those who helped were the town’s new Methodist minister, the plant attorney who drove in from Cadiz, and Ed Onslow, a former Major League ballplayer.

Outside help also came quickly. Steel companies offered assistance, and the Pennsylvania Railroad, whose line ran through Scio, promised to expedite shipments of rebuilding materials. ³ The mayor of New Martinsville, West Virginia, wired Reese to say that his town’s concrete block plant was preparing 2,000 blocks as a gift to the people of Scio. Steel for the Quonset-type replacement buildings came from Great Lakes Steel Corporation and the Weirton Steel Company. ¹

Workers did not receive their Christmas bonuses that year because the money was needed to rebuild the plant. ³

With help from local residents, suppliers, and customers, the pottery reopened on Feb. 13, 1948, just 62 days after the fire. ^{2 3}

Reese died in 1952. ^{2 3} Scio Pottery continued operating until 1985, when it ceased making pottery amid increasing foreign competition. ^{1 2} The site later remained in industrial use as Scio Packaging Company, which today advertises toll blending, sand, warehouse storage, and related manufacturing services. ^{1 2 3}

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Gallery

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Sources

1. Jones, H. Lee. “Trial by Fire.” Good Business, Dec. 1948.
2. Howard, Alyssa. “Reviving a Community: The Legacy of Lew Reese and Scio Pottery.” Your Ohio News, 13 Aug. 2025.
3. Baker, Jon. “Hooked on History: CBS TV series dramatized 1947 Scio Pottery fire.” Times-Reporter, 24 Oct. 2022.
4. Book: Trial By Fire. H Lee Jones

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