Near Guerneville in Sonoma County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Pond Farm Pottery

Photographed by Alvis Hendley, February 28, 2018

1. Pond Farm Pottery Marker

Inscription. Pond Farm was the home and workshop of world-renowned ceramic artist Marguerite Wildenhain until her death in 1985 at 88. Arriving from Europe in 1942, she carved a retreat here, building a home and pottery works to make pots "in solitude in the wilderness of these California hills." For over 40 years, Pond Farm Pottery attracted artists, art lovers, and passers-by.

Each summer between 1949 and 1980, 25 students gathered here to learn from Wildenhain. This international mixture of students, from raw beginners to teachers themselves, thrived in the creative seclusion of Pond Farm. **** "One of these days, in the not too distant future, that large pot of my life will be finished, and the last line will be put on it, dark, horizontal, and peaceful, but inevitable." **** "To make my pot the very best way I could, at all times, became the motto of my life." **** "...how to make that piece of clay reflect all you have felt, how to convey to others what you visualized in your mind without losing the original flame of vision - all this most inspiring search remains a mystery for me but by the grace of God, one does happen to succeed once in a while." **** "The success of our pottery school seems to lie in the fact that we are trying above all else to develop honest and creative craftsmen, well-skilled in their profession and dedicate to their work..."

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This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1949.

Location. 38° 33.042′ N, 123° 0.182′ W. Marker is near Guerneville, California, in Sonoma County. It can be reached from Armstrong Woods Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 17010 Armstrong Woods Rd, Guerneville CA 95446, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s Wine Country,

in the San Francisco Bay Area,

in the North Coast,

and specifically on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

on the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Pioneers of Preservation (approx. one mile away); Bank of Guerneville (approx. 3.4 miles away); Guerneville Historical Marker (approx. 3.4 miles away); Korbel Station (approx.

Photographed by Alvis Hendley, February 28, 2018

2. Pond Farm Pottery Marker

3.6 miles away); The Moscow Barn (approx. 6.6 miles away); First Power Commercial Sawmill (approx. 7 miles away); First Time Poetry Left At Stage Holdup (approx. 7.3 miles away); Duncans Mills Depot Museum (approx. 7.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Guerneville.

Regarding Pond Farm Pottery. Pond Farm Pottery Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Three buildings contribute to the district: a barn/studio constructed c1870 and remodeled in 1942, a house constructed in 1942, and a guest house constructed in 1962

Barn and Studio image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Alvis Hendley, February 28, 2018

3. Barn and Studio

Credits. This page was last revised on May 22, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 17, 2022, by Alvis Hendley of San Francisco, California. This page has been viewed 314 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 17, 2022, by Alvis Hendley of San Francisco, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.