The machinery to mold smoking pipes and bottles was invented by Calvin
J. Merrill of the E. H. Merrill Pottery, Summit County, Ohio, in 1843
(Blair, 1965:3).
The pipe machine was simple: the individual metal molds in the foot
powered mechanism could be changed to vary the pipe form. The whole was
contained in a simple wooden bench (Plate 6). Miss Wilsie Thornton felt
that a man working such a machine could produce thousands of pipes per
day. It is unknown how many such machines were used by the factory, nor
how many people were employed since ideas of our informants varied;
however, the best estimate seems to be 8 to 10 machines, with employees
varying from 10 to 40, depending upon the press of work and the rush of
orders at any given time.
Bob Davis of Pamplin, in the interview with John W. Walker said, “Old
man Taz Harvey made the Powhatan mold. He had a shop and made many
molds”.