Roark-Griffith Pottery Site Kiln - Cross Roads, TX
N 33° 12.703 W 096° 59.893
14S E 686566 N 3676544
You can look but not touch at the very well-protected kiln at the Roark-Griffith Pottery Site at 600 Historic Ln, Cross Roads, TX.
Waymark Code: WM182TA
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 05/18/2023
Views: 2
A 2021 Texas Historical Marker in front of the protective fence provides some history:
Stoneware production was a vital activity of the 19th century. A typical layout included clay pits, firing kilns and workshops. James M. Roark (1837-1901) a master potter from Missouri, apprenticed at John Cranston's nearby kiln before partnering with J.A. Smith in 1871 to start a pottery works near Big Elm Creek. In 1884, Roark sold the business to M.B. Griffith (1834-1924) and his son, J.F. Griffith (1857-1937). Central to the works was a beehive-style brick kiln measuring 12 feet across. The pottery specialized in utilitarian pieces such as pitchers, bowls, preserve jars, crocks, pots and churns. The business closed around 1900. In 1982, the site was one of five Denton County kilns listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Please be careful to not block traffic here, as there is no designated parking along this winding road. As mentioned, the property is listed by the National Register, but access is restricted. You can visit the Texas Historical Marker out front and use your zoom lens to get as close to the kiln as the lens allows.