Dollywood in Pigeon Forge in Sevier County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Pigeon Forge Pottery

— The Old Mill —

Photographed by Thomas Smith, June 9, 2025

1. Pigeon Forge Pottery Marker

Inscription. The people of the Smoky Mountains have a long tradition of artful, well-made mountain crafts. Appalachian handicrafts are prized around the world.

In Pigeon Forge, ceramic artist Douglas Ferguson and his wife, Ruth Wilson Ferguson, opened a studio in an old tobacco barn in 1946. Soon visitors and locals alike began collecting colorful housewares marked “Pigeon Forge Pottery." Many pieces were signed on the bottom with the potter's name.

Made from local red and gray clays, vintage Pigeon Forge Pottery featured mountain-inspired designs and glazes. Popular items included bowls, cups, and serving dishes, as well as decorative vases and whimsical animal shapes.

Sadly, a fire destroyed the Pigeon Forge Pottery barn/workshop in 1957. With support from townspeople and the public, the Fergusons immediately began to rebuild. The family reopened the studio and continued running the pottery until Douglas Ferguson's death in 1999.

The legacy of this legendary Appalachian craft lives on today in The Old Mill Pigeon River Pottery and the new generations of skilled local craftspeople here in Pigeon Forge.

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Captions
(Photo #1) (photo courtesy of Pigeon Forge Public Library; Ruth Ferguson Collection)
(Photo #2) Cyclone Jim (photo courtesy of Thompson Photo Products)
(Photo #3) The skilled artisans at Pigeon Forge Pottery were either Ferguson family members or talented local people hired and trained over the years. (photo courtesy of Pigeon Forge Public Library and Claire Quarrels Killiam)

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

Location. 35° 47.298′ N, 83° 33.226′ W. Marker is in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in Sevier County. It is in Dollywood. It is at the intersection of The Old Mill Ave and Old Mill St., on the left when traveling west on The Old Mill Ave. Outside of the Old Mill Restaurant. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 164 Old Mill Ave Pigeon Forge Tn 37863, Pigeon Forge TN 37863, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee

and in the Great Smoky Mountains.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

Photographed by Thomas Smith, June 9, 2025

2. Pigeon Forge Pottery Marker

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

the State of Franklin,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pigeons + Forge = Pigeon Forge (here, next to this marker); Welcome to The Old Mill (here, next to this marker); Exploring The Old Mill (here, next to this marker); Antebellum Tennessee: A State Divided (here, next to this marker); Farming The Frontier (here, next to this marker); Grist Mills: What a Grind (here, next to this marker); Good Times Through The Years (here, next to this marker); A Civil War Secret (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pigeon Forge.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 26, 2025, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 127 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 26, 2025, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.