The McCoy House~ the Annex

The Annex & Garden

From the Toy Room, a walkway leads through the museum herb garden to the McCoy House Annex, which houses the antique stove and Dipple Pottery exhibits. Along this path is a memorial sun dial honoring society board member Jeri Leonard (click on thumbnail above).

Dipple Pottery, & Stoves of 1842 - 1895

Stoves of 1842 - 1895

Stove on left heated home of John B. Selheimer, East Market Street, Lewistown and the stove on right was the heating stove for William Johnson home, also on Market Street. The stove in the center is a bedroom stove of the Joseph Sigler residence, Decatur Township. Other stoves in the collection of local manufacture are: Hathaway Cook Stove, foundry of A.B. Long- as advt. in Lewistown Republican, 1842. Another cook stove is unusual with right and left oven doors, dated 1865, improved 1869, by J.B. Selheimer. Used in H.C. Jackson home, family tradition, "made at Glamorgan works, South end of Lewistown.

Dipple Pottery
1848 - 1929

DIPPLE POTTERY 1848-1929 was located at several sites on Market Street and Ards Ridge (the mark Lewistown Pottery is attributed to these periods when red clay was used). The main production was at Valley Road and Nussbaum Street (now the 200 block of Valley Street).

In 1929 when the pottery closed, Andrew Gregg Curtin Dipple (last of the family to follow the trade) gave the important items to the Mifflin County Historical Society: the potter s wheel, glazing mill, glazing pump, pottery name stamps, etc. and the first pitcher thrown by John Dipple, Sr., who continued to bolster the handle with clay and use the vessel to moisten the clay he was working.

On lower right of photo is the rarest piece known. Always a family piece, it was included by Curt Dipple. It is decorated in Anna Margaretta s well known blue decoration and signed, ‘AM. Dipple & Son".

When her husband was killed in an accident in 1872 the former Anna Margaretta Peters, who was a potter as was her father and their family, continued business and to avoid the prejudice of a woman in business used mark, "AM. Dipple". Since the two sons were too young at father s death, the family assumption is that when John, Jr. was old enough to join the business, his mother proudly added ("& SON").

Pottery marks included: John. or John H. Dipple -when stamp is shallow it was used by J.H. Senior; John, Jr. used marks but is usually a deeper stamp and sometimes larger letters. After his death in 1906. the younger brother carried on potting using stamp "A.G.C. Dipple.