CALIFORNIA POTTERY INDEX - VINTAGE CALIFORNIA POTTERY, DINNERWARE, CERAMICS, FIGURINES - INCLUDING VERNON KILNS POTTERY

Vernon Kilns Pottery

Vernon Kilns Pottery was founded in July 1931 after Faye G. Bennison purchased Poxon China Company in Vernon, now part of Los Angeles. Bennison continued to produce Poxon lines, using Poxon shapes for some time before an earthquake in 1933 forced Bennison to develop original shapes for Vernon Kilns. The modern shapes plus new California colors proved very popular.
The company produced dinnerware, art pottery, figurines, ashtrays and other popular lines. All products were of earthenware, with clays from Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and England. Glazes were developed from minerals mined in California and many patterns were hand painted.
Two fires in the late 1940's almost brought the end of Vernon Potteries, Ltd., but Bennison decided to rebuild and continued to flourish during a time when imports were not available. The company was not able to compete when a flood of foreign imports hit the American shelves and in 1958 Vernon Kilns sold its holding to Metlox. Metlox continued to market some Vernon shapes and patterns under the division Vernonware until 1989.

Vernon Kilns Pottery