Ohio Pottery Turns 60

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Zanesville Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce honored a local business that offers a touch of Zanesville tradition with a 60th anniversary ribbon cutting ceremony.

Ohio Pottery Owner Larry Waltz shared how his family has handled Muskingum County pottery for 75 years and how the business remains relevant today. 

“We’ve been 60 years on West Main Street. 60 years, last month. My family’s been in business since 1951. Started out in New Concord as the Pottery Gem. Then we became Ohio Pottery in (19)57. And we still have two factories left in Zanesville, Ohio Stoneware and Hartstone, that’s my niece and nephew,” Waltz said.

Waltz noted that demand for pottery has diminished over the past 60 years, which has led to many pottery plant closures and his family venturing into wholesale operations.

“Well, we’re unique,” Waltz said. “We’re the only pottery, 80 percent of this is made in America but about 60 percent of it’s no longer made. There’s only two factories left. Like I say, we own those and we take care of like 400 Ace Hardware stores, for example. We wholesale. We ship out on 3rd Street, that’s my niece and nephew, Ross and Tiffany. They take care of all that now. I don’t do anything except come out here.”

The retail operation is located at 1905 West Main Street in Zanesville. They are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and have over 3,000 bird baths and 40 porch geese.