Westerwald Pottery is the brain child of Phil Schaltenbrand,
author, historian, teacher, and potter extraordinaire.
Phil's firm committment to the revival of an art
form, older than America itself, has inspired other
potters to take up the craft. Throughout its history
Westerwald Pottery has never stopped innovating.
The company was the first to offer personalized
stoneware, the first to revive authentic cobalt-brush
decoration, and the first to sign, stamp, and date
each piece in its line. Westerwald Pottery has consistently
maintained the highest standards of excellence for
its growing number of customers.
The story of Westerwald Pottery is unique and colorful.
In 1969, Phil Schaltenbrand, an an professor at
California University of Pennsylvania, worked alone,
throwing, decorating, firing, and marketing his
work with the help of a few assistants. It was not
uncommon for Phil to throw fifty pots in the morning,
make a delivery in the afternoon, and return to
unload a kiln in the evening. Since the studio at
this time was located in an old barn near Centerville,
Pa., the name of the business was Barnyard Pottery.
Pieces made by Schaltenbrand in these early years
are highly valued by collectors.
In 1975, the business expanded as Phil accepted
a commission to create pieces for the nation's up-coming
Bicentennial. Drawing on his considerable knowledge
of early Pennsylvania folk pottery, Schaltenbrand
designed a series of pieces which immediately captured
the fancy of collectors and shop owners. The series,
which featured embossed letters and
authentic
Pennsylvania-German decorative motifs became the
cornerstone of Schaltenbrand's company. The line
was several years ahead of its time, anticipating
the "country" look which has dominated
the giftware industry in the 1980's. 
