Bybee Pottery

Bybee Pottery

Company type	Private
Industry	Ceramics manufacturing
Founded	1809 (1809)
Founder	Webster Cornelison
Defunct	February 2011 (2011-02)
Fate	Ceased operations in 2011; limited production restarted by 2019
Headquarters	Bybee, Kentucky , United States
Products	Ceramic goods
Number of employees	8

Bybee Pottery was a ceramics manufacturer located in Bybee, within Madison County, Kentucky, United States. Established in 1809 by Webster Cornelison, the Cornelison family sustained the pottery business until 2011. The company produced a diverse selection of ceramic goods and fostered customer involvement through direct artisan engagement and guided tours of its historic premises.

Operating out of a barn-style vernacular building, Bybee Pottery held the distinction of being the oldest pottery enterprise west of the Appalachian Mountains. The firm utilized yellow clay sourced locally from areas near the Kentucky River.

Although early documentation is limited, sales records from 1845 verify its status as Madison County’s longest-standing industry. Pottery production began when James Eli Cornelison, a local farmer, discovered superior clay deposits on his property. Additionally, Ron Stambaugh, a family relative, managed a retail store called A Little Bit of Bybee that retailed Bybee pottery pieces.

In 1978, the pottery was officially registered on the National Register of Historic Places under the name Cornelison Pottery. The fifth and sixth generations of the Cornelison family continued to operate the business commercially.

Bybee Pottery ceased operations in February 2011 after dismissing its final eight employees and selling off remaining inventory. While manufacturing stopped, some unfired pottery items were still on hand. By 2019, limited production had restarted with sales conducted through a new outlet located in Middletown, Kentucky.

External links

• Little Bit of Bybee (Retailer)