Edgewater in Lakewood in Cuyahoga County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Cowan Pottery

Photographed by Grant & Mary Ann Fish, July 17, 2022

1. Cowan Pottery Marker

Inscription.
At this location, in 1913, R. Guy Cowan opened Northeast Ohio's only art pottery, the Cowan Pottery Studio (known first as the Cleveland Pottery and Tile Company). Cowan began molding Lakewood's clay into sculptural forms covered with unique glazes. Cowan's venture depended on the commercial success of his tiles, which adorned homes and community institutions throughout greater Cleveland. By 1917, his Lakewood Ware had achieved international recognition with an award from the Art Institute of Chicago. After his World War I service, Cowan returned to Lakewood, where a drained gas well prompted the pottery's relocation to Rocky River. Until the pottery closed in 1931, a casualty of the Great Depression, its artists produced elegant household wares and limited-edition ceramic sculptures that were sold throughout the United States and Canada.

Erected 2014 by The Lakewood Historical Society, Cowan Pottery Museum Associates, The Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 53-18.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it

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is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list.

Location. 41° 29.166′ N, 81° 46.978′ W. Marker is in Lakewood, Ohio, in Cuyahoga County. It is in Edgewater. It is on Nicholson Avenue south of Hazelwood Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1384 Nicholson Ave, Lakewood OH 44107, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland,

on the Lake Erie Shore,

and in the Western Reserve.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Nicholson Homestead (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dr. Jared Potter Kirtland (approx. 0.4 miles away); Alexander Winton Homestead

Photographed by Craig Doda, March 7, 2026

2. Cowan Pottery Marker

(approx. 0.4 miles away); Lakewood Park (approx. 0.9 miles away); The National Carbon Company / GrafTech International (approx. 0.9 miles away); Lakewood Veterans War Memorial (approx. 0.9 miles away); Lakewood Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.9 miles away); Ladies Of The G.A.R. Civil War Memorial (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lakewood.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2022, by Grant & Mary Ann Fish of Galloway, Ohio. This page has been viewed 434 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 19, 2022, by Grant & Mary Ann Fish of Galloway, Ohio. 2. submitted on March 21, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.