In The Grove
News of Seagrove and Surrounding Communities
May - June 2010
Events Calendar
May
5 - 28
JLK Jewelry and Jugtown
Pottery at Campbell House in
Southern Pines
7 - July 31
The Pottery of Buncombe
County - A Historical and
Contemporary Overview at the
North Carolina Pottery Center
21
Seagrove Firefighter Volunteer the pursuit of
Auxillary Fundraiser at old
service station near traffic light the diverse
in Seagrove. Southbound 49
will play from 8 p.m. until 10
p.m.
22
Thomas Pottery at Joara
Pottery Festival at the Burke
County Fairgrounds in
Morganton, NC
June
1 Pottery.
Seagrove Town Council
Meeting - 7:30 p.m.
5 Cushing from
Thomas Pottery at Piedmont
Pottery Festival in Eden, NC
5-6
Avery Pottery and Tileworks at
the 15th Annual Larkspur Party
in Raleigh, NC
Cousins in Clay at Bulldog
Pottery and Johnston and
Gentithes Pottery
12
Whynot Pottery at “Art in the
Park” at Blowing Rock, NC
15
Seagrove Public Library
Summer Reading Program (for
children) begins at 1 p.m. with
“Ben Cherry/Blackbeard the
Pirate.” Movie night starts at 7
p.m. with “Free Willy.”
In the Grove is printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper. Please recycle.
Volume 1, Issue 2
Cousins in Clay
The 2nd Annual Cousins in Clay event U.S. Highway 220 Alternate. Allison
McGowan from Concord, North Carolina
will be taking place June 5 and 6 at Bulldog
Pottery and Johnston and Gentithes Art will be joining Fred Johnston and Carol
Pottery, both in Seagrove. The potters Gentithes at Johnston and Gentithes Art
involved describe Pottery, located at 249 East Main Street.
Cousins in Clay as Cushing retired from
“a kinship based on the New York State
College of Ceramics at
shared
appreciation for Alfred University in
1997 after 41 years
excellence within of teaching.
Gholson, Henneke,
language of clay.” Gentithes, Johnston
Guest potters and McGowan all
attended Alfred
from North
Carolina and New University. Kline attended
the University of
York will be joining
potters from Bulldog Tennessee. All potters
Pottery and Johnston and participating in Cousins in
Gentithes Art Clay have university art
Photo illustration created using images taken from degrees in Ceramics.
Cousins in Clay flickr page and used with
Professor permission. Images are not to scale. A variety of
Emeritus Val Lobed bowl - McGowan, molybdenum crystalline contemporary pottery
bottle - Gholson, glaze painting - Henneke, goose will be for sale during
sculpture - Gentithes, covered jar - Cushing,
Alfred, New York decorated teapot - Johnston, bird plate - Kline the event. To learn
more about Cousins in
and Michael Kline
from Bakersville, North Carolina will be Clay, visit www.cousinsinclay.com. The
event will take place from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
joining Bruce Gholson and Samantha
Henneke at Bulldog Pottery, located at 3306 on Saturday and from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on
Sunday.
In this issue
Page 2 - Rockhouse Pottery Page 2 - Seagrove Hardware Page 3 - Tom Gray Pottery
Page 4 - May Town Council Meeting and Seagrove Voices

If you are looking for pottery that
celebrates North Carolina, you should
visit Rockhouse Pottery. Even the grape
carvings that Rockhouse is famous for
represent the state fruit - the
scuppernong grape.
Carolyn Poole says she and her
husband, Ken started doing North
Carolina themes because they were glad
to be home after Ken retired from the
U.S. Army in 1980. Being stationed in
other places caused the couple to miss
the longleaf pines and dogwoods of their
home state.
When the shop opened in 1983, it
was only natural for Ken and Carolyn to
start incorporating symbols from the
state they love into their pottery. Today,
the pottery shop shelves are lined with
functional pottery featuring grape,
dogwood, longleaf pine and cardinal
designs. The United States is also
represented with bald eagle carvings.
Ken and Carolyn were
commissioned to create a series of
numbered vases for Raleigh’s
bicentennial in 1992. The vases were
sold to raise money for bicentennial
activities. They have also created lamp
bases for Bob Timberlake’s furniture
line in the past.
Community Treasures
Rockhouse Pottery
Carolyn Poole uses a pencil to carve her
signature grape design onto a two-handled
pitcher.
“We spend a lot of extra time
texturing and carving pottery, which
makes each piece unique,” says Carolyn.
Many of the carvings are painted to
match the colorful glazes bordering the
rims and lining the inside of pots. The
pottery is gas fired. Water soluble wood
ash is used in some of the glazes and on
the pots themselves to create the honey
brown color.
Ken and Carolyn both took pottery
classes at Montgomery Technical
College. Ken is retired from the pottery
business now, but Carolyn and their son,
Greg still work in the shop on a regular
basis. Greg does most of the turning
these days. Carolyn focuses on
decorating and hand building pots. Her
sister, Linda Beane also does some hand
building for the shop.
Other family members like to work
with pottery, too. Carolyn says her 11
grandchildren all like to experiment with
clay. Her daughter, Teresa Cloninger is
working on a carved dragonfly design
that will be available in the shop soon.
Carolyn says she would like to start
doing more animal pieces in the future.
Rockhouse Pottery will be
participating in the Great American
Pottery and Artisan Show at Trader
Marc’s in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
The event will be held in the Expo
Center on July 17 and 18.
Rockhouse Pottery is open
Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.
until 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 12
p.m. until 4 p.m. The rock house that
the pottery shop was named after is hard
to miss. The pottery shop is located
behind the house, at 1792 South
Highway 705, near the Westmoore
community.

Tom Curtis is a bit of a historian,
and his store, Seagrove Hardware is a
part of the history of Seagrove. In 1915,
Seagrove Hardware was incorporated by
six area business owners who wanted a
spur line from the railroad to come up to
Seagrove.
The spur line improved their
businesses and allowed farmers in the
area access to farming equipment that
was brought in by train. It also created
a way for folks to make extra money by
selling cross ties that could be carried in
bulk by train.
Tom was living in Greensboro with
his wife, Sandra when her father, A.R.
Auman started having health problems,
and the couple decided to come to
Seagrove. A.R. and his brother, Hubert
Seagrove Hardware
Tom Curtis outside of his business,
Seagrove Hardware in downtown Seagrove Baiden began running the store in 1987.
Auman had been running the hardware
store during that time. Tom says he
wanted to help A.R. keep the store
going because he saw the importance of
it.
“There’re three things people
depend on – hardware, food and
clothing,” Tom says. People depended
on Seagrove Hardware and trusted the
people who ran it to help them get what
they needed. Tom says that’s why he
wanted to be a part of it.
He had always been interested in
tools and liked meeting new people, so
the hardware store seemed like a perfect
fit. He and his business partner, Chuck
Tom has been running the business by
himself since the late 1990s.
Continued on next page
 Seagrove Hardware still operates
the old fashioned way. Customers tell
Tom what they need, and he helps them
find it. The store shelves are stocked
with what people in the area need.
Everything from garden, plumbing and
home repair supplies to cast iron pots
and pans and canning supplies can be
found there.
To further serve the community,
Seagrove Hardware acts as a N.C.
Wildlife Resources Agent, a Licenses
and Big Games Check Point and Vehicle
Registration Agent. Tom is a notary
public, as well.
Tom talks enthusiastically about
the hardware store and helping people,
but his eyes really light up when he talks
about his grandchildren, Elizabeth,
James, John Thomas and William. He
likes when they come in to have their
pictures taken on the big wooden ladder
that runs behind the desk at the hardware
store.
Upton Accounting, Inc.
Professional Accounting Service
Seagrove Professional Village
508 North Broad Street
Seagrove, North Carolina 27341
(336) 873-7690
Fax: (336) 873-7650
James P. Upton, III E.A.
Accountant
Enrolled to Practice Before the
Internal Revenue Service

Tom Gray Pottery

Tom Gray says he program at ACC and Benjamin & Bonnie Burns
Potters
makes “pots for rituals – was teaching pottery
the most important of classes at the Virginia 437 N. Broad Street
which is putting our feet Beach Art Center. Tom Seagrove, NC 27341
under the table with took two six-week hand
(336) 873-8066
family and friends.” building classes and a
Much of the pottery six-week turning class. www.greatwhiteoakgallery.com
available at Tom Gray He has been making
Pottery can be used in pottery since 1976. The Richland Creek
the kitchen or for Seagrove shop opened in Herb and Flower Farm
serving. 1990. 26 years of growing and selling herbs and flowers
Tom really likes to Tom regularly
cook. He attributes this contributes to a blog 1984 Prices
to his mother. “Mom where he describes his All 4-inch pots are $1
didn’t teach me how to Tom Gray turns a bowl at his “adventures as a dad,
cook. She taught me studio in Seagrove. potter, cook and
Only on June 10, 11, & 12
how to taste,” Tom says. reluctant gardener.” 4749 Joel Jessup Road
He enjoys making dinner for himself and You can read about those adventures at Seagrove, NC 27341
3 miles north of Erect, North Carolina
his son, Slate, whom he’s very proud of. www.n2clay.com. Tom and several
“My son taught me how to love,” he other potters who also blog will be
says. participating in the Clay and Blogs event
Sometimes when he’s busy in the at Campbell House in Southern Pines in PREVO DRUGS
kitchen, Tom discovers items that he October. The open house reception will Independent Pharmacists that Care About You
needs and doesn’t have. This inspires take place on October 1, 2010 from 6
him to create new pottery forms. His p.m. until 8 p.m. 510 North Broad Street
newest creations are stacking mixing The pottery available in Tom’s Seagrove, NC
bowls. He is also working on some shop comes in a variety of earth tones. (336) 873-8246
altered and stretched platters that should All of his work is gas fired in a 65- M-F 8:30 - 6:00
be available soon. cubic-foot Car Kiln. Sat 9:00 - 1:00
Tom became interested in making Tom Gray Pottery is located at
pottery when he was living in Virginia 1480 Fork Creek Mill Road in Seagrove. Jerry P. Moore, PharmD.
Beach. He moved there shortly after he The shop is open Monday through In The Grove is made and distributed by
went to school for Commercial Art at Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Like
Atlantic Christian College (ACC) in everyone else, Tom sometimes has
Wilson, North Carolina. A love for appointments he cannot miss. On those and funded solely through advertising
surfing and a desire to be close to the occasions, he has to temporarily close dollars. Please support our sponsors.
ocean led him to Virginia Beach. the shop. He recommends that people
To list an event, purchase an ad or
A gallery at the beach had some who are coming from far away to visit
send in something for Seagrove Voices,
hand built pots that grabbed Tom’s his shop send an e-mail to please contact:
attention. The person who made them tgraypots@yahoo.com before they begin
had also been in the Commercial Art their journey. Rhonda McCanless
(336) 879-6950
Community Treasures profiles three locally-owned businesses each month. professional_page@rtmc.net

May Town Council Meeting
Seagrove town council members
continued their discussion of plans to
make Seagrove more pedestrian-friendly
at the May 4 meeting.
Jesse Day, regional planner from
the Piedmont Triad Council of
Governments (PTCOG), spoke with
council members about the Seagrove
Creative Economies Action Plan
(SCEAP) that was created in 2007.
The town of Seagrove partnered
together with the North Carolina Pottery
Center in the spring of 2007 to contract
with the PTCOG to get assistance with
designing and facilitating the plan. The
purpose is to improve the creative
economy for the town of Seagrove, area
potteries and the pottery center.
The SCEAP includes four main
goals for Seagrove. The goals are to
create a pedestrian-friendly
environment, improve Seagrove’s visual
appearance, improve visitor way-
finding, and to make investments that
will provide a sewer system.
Discussion focused on the
possibility of adding sidewalks to
promote and improve pedestrian traffic.
Day presented council members with
Seagrove Town News
contact information for grant programs
that may provide funding for bicycle
and pedestrian traffic. Grant options are
limited for Seagrove due to the small
size of the town.
Commissioner Ruby Mullin told
council members that Seagrove Athletic
Department and Carolina Bats have both
signed contracts to use and maintain the
ball fields at H. Clay Presnell Memorial
Park.
Mayor Allen Hale said Seagrove
Town Council will be accepting sealed
bids for H. Clay Presnell Memorial Park
and secondary road maintenance until
June 1.
Barry Needham requested an
amendment to the N.C. Highway 705
Scenic Business Corridor Overlay that
would allow him to open a vehicle
restoration business. Hale asked the
town council if anyone would like to
make a motion to grant the request.
Nobody responded, and the request was
denied.
The overlay was adopted by the
Randolph County Planning Board in
2003. It extends from the Interstate
73/74 exit to Seagrove city limits.
Among other things, the overlay
prohibits certain types of businesses
from opening within the overlay area.
Seagrove Town Council went along
with the original plan adopted by the
planning board for the most part, but did
make some amendments, according to
Mullin.
Citizens expressed concern about
the fuel tanks located across the street
from Seagrove Elementary School.
That area is outside of the Scenic
Business Corridor Overlay. Hale
recommended that citizens petition the
owners of the property about having the
tanks removed.
In other news, I requested the town
council consider subsidizing “In the
Grove.” Advertising alone is not quite
covering the cost of printing. The town
council agreed to speak with the town’s
lawyer to see if this is a legally possible
option before responding.
CORRECTION: In the “April
Town Council Meeting” story in last
month’s issue, Nadine Johnson was
incorrectly credited with creating the
town seal. The seal was created by
Glenda Little.

Changes are coming to “In the Grove” O’Quinn Pottery

In an effort to better serve the community, this section of the newsletter will be
devoted to “Seagrove Voices” starting next month. I encourage readers who have
something they would like to share with the community to take advantage of this
forum.
Topics can include anything from announcements to opinions and suggestions.
If your church or charity organization is holding a fundraiser, tell us about it. If you
have an opinion about decisions made by town officials that you would like to
share, please do. If you have an opinion about the newsletter itself, send it in.
Anything that is fair and true, and does not contain any offensive or defamatory 4456 Busbee Rd., Seagrove · (910) 464-5125
language will be printed, provided space is available. To guarantee available space, Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday
try to keep letters to 150 words or less. Authors must be willing to attach their Dover Pottery
names and contact information to what they send in. Contact information will be 321 Dover Pottery Drive, Seagrove
kept private. E-mail letters to professional_page@rtmc.net or mail them to In the (910) 464-3586
Grove, P.O. Box 252, Seagrove, NC 27341.
Another change I’m excited to announce is that “In the Grove” will now be Open
printed on 30 % post-consumer recycled paper, starting with this issue. Keep the Tues. - Sat.
process going. Please recycle this when you are done with it. 10 a.m.
I hope you are as happy about these changes as I am. until
5 p.m.
Sincerely,
Rhonda McCanless
www.doverpots.com

To receive a monthly pdf version of In the Grove sent via e-mail, send requests to professional_page@rtmc.net