Brown Bros salt glazed bottle

[diggerdirect]

I have a couple recent finds from an 1870ish pit here in upstate NY I'm hoping someone might have some info on. The first is a salt glazed stoneware bottle, 5 3/4" tall marked only BROWN BRO'S on the shoulder.
The only reference I find is to a Brown Brothers pottery in Huntington, Long island.

Appreciate any info someone might have.
Al

 

[epackage]

Tod has the same one on his site but has no info on where it's from....Love that squatty form for a stoneware...Jim

 

[diggerdirect]

Thanks Jim, I had searched that site earlier but didnt find it, after your post I did another search there by attributes and it turned up. I notice the one pictured there also has a darker blackish area just below the top, I had thought perhaps my example was just discolored. I appreciate the info...Al

 

[stonebottle]

I do not remember seeing that one before. Were there other bottles found with it from the Syracuse area, besides the one you posted? There are stoneware bottles from Syracuse, Rochester, and Oswego that had yellow tops, so it may be local to that area. It is also true that there are Canadian bottles with that shape, in that small size, with yellow tops. Are you keeping it, or is it to be up for sale? The condition looks very good, is there any damage at all? Sounds like a good pit, with unusual bottles, hope you find more in the same area. stonebottle

 

[diggerdirect]

It was a varied pit (actually three pits total in one small back yard), bottles from Syracuse to Oswego & locals in between as well as this stoneware bottle, of which only one was found.
Doing some research today turned up "Brown Bro's" in an 1895 newspaper, the 'Fair Haven NY Register' (clip below) that apparently ran a cider mill there somewhere near Sodus Bay, and another article about early churches of the same area in 1858 mentioning the Brown Brothers (if it is the same pair)

Fair Haven & surrounding area isnt far from where these pits were dug, and the bottle could very well have held cider.

In 1858, Fair Haven Village gained another church when “persons of color†formed the Bethel A.M.E. Church. Members of the new church included Anthony Quero, Edward Brown, Jacob Brown, and a Mr. Still, who may be the same Samuel Still whose land was deeded to the A.M.E. Zion Church and Free African School.

The Brown brothers, whose family homestead was on Brown’s Lane and Quero, another resident of Browns Lane, actually passed the Zion Church on their way to the Bethel Chapel. Only some 600 feet separated the two sister churches....

Of course its all pure speculation but it is a 'could be possible' as well as enjoyable time spent looking through a bunch of old history.

The bottle itself is in excellent condition, no chips cracks or hairlines. Abit of rust remaining but I haven't got serious about cleaning it up to much yet. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet but will let you know.

Al

below: some of the other bottles from the dig.

 

[Wheelah23]

ORIGINAL: diggerdirect

below: some of the other bottles from the dig.

Looks like a dream dig to me! I love blobs! I've never dug a stoneware beer, but I want to, they're awesome looking! Dig on!

 

[creeper71]

ORIGINAL: Wheelah23

ORIGINAL: diggerdirect

below: some of the other bottles from the dig.

Looks like a dream dig to me! I love blobs! I've never dug a stoneware beer, but I want to, they're awesome looking! Dig on!

Conner you already found your dream dig...lol

 

[myersdiggers1998]

Nice looking dig ,love those stonewares. If you ever dig a ginger beer from watertown with McCoy& Hanlon on it I'll buy it from you.

 

[VTdigger]

Nice dig! I have yet to dig a bottle like this whole anyway, I found a few unlabeled ones broken to heck so back into the hole they went.

 

[tigue710]

Nice bottle, looks like a productive dig. Is the whiskey cylinder marked and are you selling it, direct that is?