The Miller Family Pottery
George Miller immigrated from Germany in 1829 and by 1838 had founded the Miller family pottery of Newport, Pennsylvania. George specialized in utilitarian wares, first in earthenware and later (circa 1860) in stoneware. The Miller firm was the only important pottery venture in Perry County and its products are considered extremely rare today.
Over the years five of George Miller’s ten children worked at the pottery including George and Michael (1860), but it was Michael and Theophilus who continued the pottery work after their father’s death in 1864. They sold the pottery to their brother-in-law Henry Markel in 1877 but continued to work with him making stoneware. The pottery was known to be prospering as late as 1893, but likely closed soon after the turn of the century.
Two marks are known for the Miller pottery: M. & T. MILLER/NEWPORT, PA (with the name in an arc) thought to have been used from 1864 to 1877, and H.M.&T. MILLER/NEWPORT, PA., used after Henry Markel purchased the pottery. Henry apparently did not want his own name stamp for the firm and the M & T mark also continued to be used under his ownership.