Cornelison Pottery

Bybee Pottery, historically known also as Cornelison Pottery, is a historic industrial facility in Bybee, Kentucky, United States. Located in a vernacular structure with the appearance of a barn, Cornelison is among the oldest pottery manufacturers west of the Appalachian Mountains still in operation. The facility now uses a modern kiln.[2]^:2

Cornelison Pottery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Kentucky Route 52, Bybee, Kentucky
Coordinates	37°43′58″N 84°7′29″W
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	c.1845
NRHP reference No.	78001380[1]
Added to NRHP	July 24, 1978

Founded in 1809 according to local lore, the pottery's earliest years are undocumented; the earliest clear references to the facility are sales records from 1845, but even this date demonstrates that Cornelison is Madison County's oldest industry. Pottery was first thrown at Cornelison by a local farmer, James Eli Cornelison, who observed that his farm contained substantial amounts of high-quality clay that was ready for industrial purposes without any preparation.[2]^:3

The pottery facility was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as "Cornelison Pottery".[1] The fifth and sixth generations of the Cornelison family in the business continue to operate the pottery on a commercial basis making their traditional products.[3]

Pottery was closed in February 2011.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Wilson, Frederick T. (December 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cornelison Pottery / Bybee Pottery". National Park Service. and accompanying three photos
3. "Little Bit of Bybee, Handmade Pottery". Retrieved July 19, 2013.