Whynot Pottery

Web Site: www.whynotpottery.com

E-Mail: info@whynotpottery.com

Bio

Whynot Pottery, owned and operated by Mark and Meredith Heywood, is on Fork Creek Mill Rd. just 2 miles outside of downtown Seagrove, ¾ mi. off highway 705.

Many folks ask about the name Whynot. The story, as it is told, is that until 1905 much of the area in North Carolina which is now called Seagrove was known as Whynot. In about 1860 the people of the community found they needed an official name to establish a federal post office. During a meeting to address this issue many suggestions were considered. Each prospective name was preceded with the question "Why not?"

Since no one was willing to answer that question, or agree on a name, the meeting dragged on late into the night. After hours of polite indecision, one brave and tired soul stood up and said, "Why not call it Whynot and let's go home."
Mark and Meredith have lived in Whynot since 1976 after moving from Norfolk Va. to live on the family farm. Meredith’s grandfather was born and raised in the Whynot area and attended the Whynot Academy along with his 11 siblings. Meredith does not come from a direct line of potters, but has family ties to the Auman and Cole families.

Mark is a southern transplant with roots which go back to Wisconsin on his father’s side and to the Kansas Pottawatomie Indian tribe from his mother’s side of the family.

The Heywood’s opened Whynot Pottery in October of 1982 when there were only a handful of potteries in the area.
Both Mark and Meredith have a hand in every aspect of the production. Pots are handled countless times before they find their way from the wheel to a place of honor in someone’s home. Their work is inspired by traditional North Carolina pottery and universally classic forms found in many cultures world wide.

Both the Heywood’s turn and then add stamping and carving to accentuate shapes which gives the glazes a place to flow.
All of their lead free glazes are mixed on site and made up mostly of feldspar, flint, clay, calcium carbonate, and wood ashes. Metallic oxides (mostly iron) are added for color.
The glaze kiln is fueled by LP gas and takes twelve to sixteen hours to bring the interior temperature to 2350o. It then takes two full days for the ware inside to cool enough to be handled. The intense heat of the kiln vitrifies the clay and melts the glaze, which partially soaks into the surface of the pots.

You can contact Mark and Meredith at info@whynotpottery.com.
Their Business hours are Most Mondays- Saturday from 9-5
336-873-9276
1013 Fork Creek Mill Rd. Seagrove, NC 27341
 http://whynotpottery.com
http://whynotpotteryblog.blogspot.com/
Please call or email if you are not sure about your travel plans and would like to make sure they are available for you.