Bybee Pottery
| Private | |
| Industry | Pottery |
| Founded | 1809 |
| Headquarters | 610 Waco Loop, Bybee, Kentucky, USA |
Key people | Jimmy Cornelison, Owner; Walter Cornelison, Owner; Buzz Cornelison, Owner |
Bybee Pottery, is a 200-year-old pottery company based in Bybee, a community in Madison County, Kentucky, USA. It was founded in 1809 by Webster Cornelison and members of the same Cornelison family continue to make and sell pottery today. Bybee Pottery sells a wide variety of products and encourages customers to interact with the artisans and tour the building that has survived six generations and the Civil War.[1]
Bybee Pottery is considered the oldest pottery operation in the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains. Employees still procure the yellow clay from a nearby source close to the banks of the Kentucky River. A family cousin, Ron Stambaugh, owns a retail outlet that sells Bybee pottery among other items under the name, A Little Bit of Bybee. Although rumors and news reports suggest the business is soon to close, the current owners have no plans of closing the doors.
In February 2011, Bybee Pottery laid off its eight remaining employees, sold off remaining in-store inventory and suspended operations. While it is neither producing nor selling products at this time, owners have stated that there is product formed that could be fired.[2]
References
- ↑ Eblen, Tom. "Bybee Pottery celebrates 200 years", Lexington Herald-Leader, 2009-02-22. Retrieved on February 23, 2009.
- ↑ Robinson, Bill. "After two centuries, Bybee Pottery now facing its toughest challenge ", Richmond Register, 2011-05-31. Retrieved on June 12, 2011.