Haeger Pottery, Macomb, IL

A few weeks ago, D and I were wandering around Macomb, IL and we decided to stop by one of the places that used to make Macomb more artsy than your typical drunken college town. The Haeger Pottery Plant has unfortunately been shut down since 2004. Although there have been a few plans to renovate the property (the most recent one was a proposed condo development) all of them have fallen through and today it sits empty.

Established in Macomb in 1882 as Buckeye Pottery, the building was bought by Haeger in 1939. The first pieces of Haeger pottery came out of the Macomb plant on December 15, 1940.  Until it was shutdown, the Macomb plant was the only other producer of Haeger pottery other than the main East Dundee, IL plant that is still operational today.

Interestingly, this plant was not the only Haeger plant in Macomb.  Haeger expanded in 1961 by aquiring another ceramics plant at 1300 W. Piper in Macomb.  In 1969, this plant became a Royal Haeger Lamp Company factory. This plant was on the east side of town and is close to being completely torn down. A close friend of mine worked there for a week a year or two before it closed. One of the locals told D that he worked there by himself without any other workers during the year before it closed. Hopefully sometime we'll be able to get pictures of what's left, although I hear its not much. Macomb actually has a longtime history of being a large producer of ceramics. In the late 1800s, a lot of pottery companies resided in Macomb, including Buckeye Pottery, Eagle Pottery, Macomb Pottery which became Western Stoneworks, Stoffer and Sons Pottery, and Macomb Stoneworks. 

However, Macomb is not mentioned in the Haeger history on the official Haeger website. The Haeger offices (as seen through the front door) are really cool looking. We really like the danish modern display case/bookshelf to the left. I assume the red vase is a Haeger vase.

I also like the little fenced garden by the office.

These are really old looking carts that we think were used the push the pottery in its various stages around the factory.

The back of the factory...

I wish I knew what the large green metal thing is.

The building starts to bend at the end of the south side.

Gotta love the huge chimney.

And all the smokestacks.

Can't you just imagine the condos, instead of all the boarded windows?

No Admittance, Authorized Personnel Only!

Interestingly it would seem that the city does still have plans for this building (it is in the center of town after all). Right after we finished walking around and photographing the perimeter of the factory, a cop showed up and did a walk around. According to local residents the factory is in a constant state of heavy manners. It is a great old place and it would be nice if someone did something with it. But it probably won't happen.

Source Material:
Macomb Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Hallwas, John    Macomb, A Pictoral History

Official Haeger Website

WIU Courier Article

The most helpful article I found on the internet.