Early 19th century family Redware tradition continues at 2012 Hay Creek Festival
Historic Joanna Furnace produced iron products and pig iron for over 100 years. Over that period, the workers and their families needed simple things to improve or to maintain their lifestyle ... things that to us are so commonplace that we take them for granted. These things, for the most part, were crafted at home or by area artisans. At the Hay Creek Festival, visitors will be able to see, watch and interact with many such traditional early American artisans. Artisans will be displaying and interpreting most of the craft items needed to support an early rural industrial community making their life so much more comfortable.
One artisan couple of distinction who will be participating in the 2012 Hay Creek Festival is Steve and Susan Horst of Huberhaus Pottery, Myerstown. The Horsts have always been fascinated with history and have always enjoyed working with redware pottery. Their family’s pottery tradition began in 1842 with Steve’s great, great grandfather. Henry Huber was a farmer from Montgomery County. Like so many potters, these early farmers took advantage of the red clay they found beneath the topsoil in their fields.
Redware pottery was popular for its simplicity and its wide availability in Eastern Pennsylvania, as far back as the Colonial period. It was inexpensive and practical and glazed only when specific use required. To distinguish their work, potters sometimes used simple decorations, called slip trailing. The redware potter produced a wide variety of everyday items including crocks for storage, mugs, dishes, jugs, bowls, pie plates, flowerpots, roof tiles, sugar bowls and creamers, as well as toys such as little animals, whistles and miniatures.
The Horsts learned the pottery trade from Steve’s cousin John Huber, who had apprenticed with his uncle, the late Charles Huber of Schaef- ferstown, Pennsylvania. Both Charles and John developed their own unique but traditional approach to redware pottery. Their styles, techniques, and love of this Pennsylvania German art form, are proudly now continued by a Pennsylvania Dutchman tracing his ancestry back to John Michael Huber who served in the Revolutionary War and even further back to Michael’s grandfather, Stephen Huber from 17th century Burgsalach, Germany.
Stephen and Susan Horst, owners of Huberhaus Pottery, make redware pottery in the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch manner, one piece at a time. Each plate is hand made from red clay, coggled, dried, decorated and fired, then glazed and re-fired. Wheelwork includes bowls, crocks, mugs and pitchers. The use of manganese dioxide with the glaze produces a warm and vibrant exterior. All of the pottery is food safe and is made for everyday use. The Horsts also create individualized pieces for anniversaries, birthdays and special events. Their goal is to provide a product that is reminiscent of days gone by, but of practical use today.
They will be displaying their redware process and discussing their historic traditions in pottery in the
WHome Crafts section at the Hay Creek Festival on September 7 to 9 at Historic Joanna Furnace near Morgantown.
The Hay Creek Festival is held at Historic Joanna Furnace three miles north of Morgantown on PA Route 10. Free continuously running shuttle buses move visitors effortlessly from the parking area to the Festival grounds and back. For the safety of visitors, all are encouraged to park safely on the easy access lots south of the Festival along route 10. Main Festival events occur 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all three days. For more information, visit www.haycreek. org .