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FRIDAY APRIL 14, 2023 • VOL. 53, NO. 15
A Rare Example Of 19th-Century Red Earthenware From Parkesburg, Chester County, Pa. Folk Art Redware Desk Caddy Found In Canada By Justin W. Thomas Located a little over 40 miles west of Philadelphia in Parkesburg, a borough in Chester County, Pa., is the Fountain Inn, a tavern built in about 1734. Located along Strasburg Road, it served as a stopover for those traveling between Philadelphia and Lancaster and at the time was the country’s largest inland road. Today, the building stands at 131/133 Main Street. The inn ceased operation as a tavern around 1836 and became Parkesburg’s first post office. The area was originally settled by migrants predominantly of Scottish-Irish descent, some of whom were Quakers, in search of an agrarian lifestyle or a community whose economy was based on producing and maintaining crops and farmland. The town was also named after John G. Parke (1761-1837), a prominent politician and landholder in the area. He had hoped his land and surrounding area would develop into an industrial town similar to those in Europe. According to the book “Genealogy of the Parke Family: Nine Generations From Arthur and Mary Parke 1720-1920,” by John P. Wallace (b. 1837) in 1920, “John G. Parke was a member of the state’s General Assembly in 1818, a justice of the peace for many years; he was elected a ruling elder of Upper Octoraro Church, and was a prominent man in the community
in which he lived. He was the owner of 200 acres of land through which the Pennsylvania Railroad was, in 1830, being constructed. He devoted all his energy to building up a town on his estate, with what success is evidenced today by the borough of Parkesburg with its three thousand inhabitants.” Growth really got started in 1831, when the tracks of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad were laid through Parkesburg. However, despite all of the travel that went through Parkesburg in the 1800s, there does not appear to be any documented household pottery production. This is likely partially a result of the amount of wares that were produced in the surrounding communities and counties during this period. But with that said, an object of particular interest was rediscovered in Canada that may shed some light on a possible forgotten potter of red earthenware production connected to Parkesburg in the 1800s. A Red Earthenware Object Inscribed “Parkesburg” The object was in the collection of longtime Canadiana and pottery collector John Wine, a retired psychologist in Ontario, Canada. Much of his pottery collection was sold a few years ago through Miller & Miller Auctions in New Hamburg, Ontario, although this piece was not included in any of the auctions and was sold privately in 2020. It is Continued on page 2
Series Of Auctions For Estate On Virginia’s Eastern Shore Kicks Off In Style 18th-Century Raised Panel Heart Pine Two-Door Cupboard/Clothes Press Brings $14,732 By Karl Pass
Here is an early photograph of the Fountain Inn, regarded by many as Parksburg, Pa.’s, oldest structure, ca. 1734.
Dave Allen of A&M Auctions is holding a series of online-only sales on behalf of the estate of Brigadier General Chester (Chet) deGavre and Teresa Cameron deGavre. Four are slated at various onsite locations, and three based at 8000 Esham Road in Parsonsburg, Md. One of the bigger sales among them took place March 15 and had some good prices realized for several pieces of early furniture. It was conducted at www.AMauctions.com through Continued on page 8
A 19th-century red earthenware footed object that appears to be a desk caddy, which was found decades ago by John Wine in Ontario, Canada, its purpose likely related to inkstands made throughout the midAtlantic and elsewhere in America in the 18th and 19th century.
Signed “Magic: The Gathering” Black Lotus Card Sells For Record $615,000 Artist Proof Signed By Artist Christopher Rush A “Magic: The Gathering” artist proof Black Lotus signed by its artist, Christopher Rush, sold March 24 at Heritage Auctions for $615,000. That card, graded Near Mint/Mint+ 8.5 by Certified Guarantee Company, is now the most valuable “Magic: The Gathering” card ever sold at auction. The card is part of the collection of Rush’s friend and former agent, Jeff Ferreira, who offered some of his assemblage over two days in Heritage Auctions’ The
Jeff Ferreira Collection Featuring Christopher Rush Collectibles Trading Card Games Signature Auction, which took place March 24 and 25. This special card was being offered at auction for the first time. The Black Lotus is the most powerful card in the game. The card’s population is exceedingly small, and copies, especially signed copies, rarely become available. “The Black Lotus remains the
most desired ‘Magic: The Gathering’ card in the world,” says Jesus Garcia, Heritage’s trading card games consignment director. “And it’s certainly no surprise this spectacular copy is now the auction record-holder, given that it’s signed by the artist who created it. We’re proud to have been a part of the remarkable result achieved for this— dare I say it?— magical offering.” For more information, visit www.HA.com.
An Eastern Shore of Virginia raised panel heart pine two-door cupboard/clothes press, ca. 1760, sold for $14,732.
In This Issue SHOPS, SHOWS & MARKETS . . . . . . . . . starting on page 3 SHOPS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . on page 7 EVENT & AUCTION CALENDAR . on page 8 AUCTION SALE BILLS . . starting on page 9 AUCTIONEER DIRECTORY . . . . on page 9
FEATURE RESULTS: Locati LLC March Online Auction - Page 6
CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . .on page 15