After fire, Imperial buys Excelsior Pottery

POTTERY BOUGHT

BY IMPERIAL CO.

Duggan and Dinsmore Will

Continue Business

Without Further Delay

The Imperial Porcelain Company, whose big plant in East Trenton was burned Sunday morning, has made an aggressive business move to enable it to continue its business which was so pressing that the old plant was being operated day and night. The company, which is composed of Frederic A. Duggan and Benjamin Dinsmore, has closed negotiations for the purchase of the plant of the Excelsior Pottery Company. This plant is located on Mulberry street near the Delaware & Raritan Canal.

The pottery purchased was owned by William H. Cook and George W. Page. The Excelsior buildings cover an area of 300 by 500 feet and there are four kilns to the plant. The Imperial Company took possession today. The buildings and machinery will be overhauled and it is expected the new proprietors will have the plant running in about two weeks.

The Excelsior is one of the oldest pottery plants in this section and the buildings have an interesting history. For years the place was known as the old "still house."

The place was occupied in the early part of the last century as a distillery by Andrew Crozer. Later the place was purchased by I. and C. Moore, who, during the Civil war converted the still house into a pottery. Still later this firm sold out to Forman & Brewer. Afterwards Mr. Forman retired and the business was continued by Mr. Brewer. He sold out to C. S. Cook & Company. This firm was composed of Asa F. Skirm, Edward Cook and Charles S. Cook. These proprietors were succeeded by the East Trenton Pottery Company, which operated the plant several years. Charles S. Cook was president and treasurer, and W. Maxwell Marshall, secretary. They manufactured white granite, stone porcelain, decorated and hotel ware. The Excelsior Pottery Company had operated the place about one year.