See how it all started
It all began in 1938
The Great Jimmy Maloney
In 1938, A young man not long out of high school purchased a half-acre of land about five miles west of historic Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. James (Jimmy) E. Maloney established his small pottery kiln on Route 60 West, Virginia. He offered hand-crafted pottery made in the 17th-18th-century style that he had learned as an apprentice at the Jamestown Colony Pottery. Jimmy named his new business venture the “Williamsburg Pottery”.
What started as a simple roadside pottery stand continued to grow over the years. Dinnerware and glassware were early product additions. Many more kinds of merchandise followed. By the early 1980s, the business known regionally as “The Pottery,” was a sprawling, 200-acre shopping mecca that offered more than 80,000 different items.
Jimmy was a retail visionary as well as an entrepreneur. He attracted and served a growing base of customers by finding and offering diverse merchandise at significant discounts. Long before there were outlet stores and outlet malls, Jimmy was going directly to manufacturers to obtain “factory pricing,” quality goods.
Jimmy’s vision, craftsmanship, and unfailing entrepreneurial spirit turned the Pottery into a must-see destination during everybody’s visit to the Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. People couldn’t wait to get their hands on all of the bargains and would leave the Pottery on a daily basis with shopping carts overflowing with treasures from all over the world.
About WIlliamsburg Pottery at the present. After Jimmy’s death in 2005, the Pottery struggled to compete with Williamsburg’s other fast-growing shopping venues. In 2010, the Williamsburg Pottery’s President, CEO and Jimmy’s widow Kim Maloney unveiled plans for a multi-million dollar revitalization of the Pottery at the original 1938 location on Richmond Road.
The Pottery has offered original handmade Salt Glaze Pottery (we still make it on-site and have been the supplier to Colonial Williamsburg for over 50 years) since 1938. We are proud to offer the best quality items at the lowest prices, guaranteed. Always family-owned and operated, we stand by our products and by our community.
Independently Owned Small Business
Our Now
The Williamsburg Pottery enlisted a strong design-build team of local companies including Guernsey-Tingle Architects, general contractor Henderson Inc. and AES Consulting Engineers. The renovation, which resembles a Dutch-inspired European Marketplace, covers 19 acres and includes three separate buildings that encompass nearly 160,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space as well as over 10,000 sq. ft. of office space.
The buildings feature a unique silhouette that truly resembles a European market town. Among their features are a beautiful clock tower, outdoor and indoor plant area, outdoor courtyard plaza with a stage for performances and a flagship Au Bon Pain restaurant.
The event included the unveiling of a statue of the Pottery’s founder Jimmy Maloney on what would have been his 100th birthday. A ceremonial ribbon cutting was held to officially open the new buildings to the public.
The Pottery is back and better than ever and ready to offer a superb shopping experience for generations to come! With something for virtually everyone, the new Pottery is truly a “Marketplace for All”.
On April 5th, 2012 the Pottery opened to a huge crowd during their Grand Opening ceremony. Guests included Lieutenant Governor and Mrs. Bill Bolling, South Korean Consul General Soon Goon Yoon as well as many other local dignitaries.
-MARAC (Mid Atlantic Regional Archives Conference)“And then there is Williamsburg Pottery. You can camp and shop all in one location. Seriously though, they have been making so much more than pottery there since 1938. I do not actually try to define or explain the Pottery and won’t try here.”
The Pottery has offered original handmade Salt Glaze Pottery (we still make it on-site) since 1938. We are proud to offer the best quality items at the lowest prices, guaranteed. Always family-owned and operated, we stand by our products and by our community.
Since it's inception in 2005, the James Maloney Foundation has donated nearly $170,000 in support of charitable services in the Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, James City County and York County.
The James Maloney Foundation
An extraordinary entrepreneur, Jimmy Maloney was admired and respected by business and community leaders for his, keen business acumen and tremendous work ethic, which contributed to the economic growth and quality of life of the area.
In 2005, to continue the legacy of her late husband and Pottery founder, Kim Maloney formally established the James Maloney Foundation. The Foundation’s specific purpose is to help and support charitable organizations and educational institutions located in or serving the citizens of Williamsburg, James City and York Counties.
The Foundation is funded solely by the Williamsburg Pottery, which donates one percent of its sales every year to support the Foundation’s philanthropic activities.
From its inception in 2005 through mid-2012, the James Maloney Foundation has donated nearly $170,000 in support of charitable services in the Historic Triangle of Williamsburg/James City County/York County. Among the non-profit organizations receiving assistance from the Foundation are the Williamsburg chapters of the United Way and Salvation Army; FISH Emergency Services of Greater Williamsburg; Grove Christian Outreach; and Meals on Wheels.
Jimmy Maloney had great faith in the power of education and the self-discipline generated by work and sports as important to
individual growth and development. Educational institutions are also supported by the Foundation, including the College of William & Mary’s Rita Welsh Adult Literacy Program, as well as the College of William & Mary’s Athletics programs.
The Foundation supports Jimmy’s generous spirit and commitment to education every year in the form of James Maloney Foundation Scholarships. The Foundation annually funds individual scholarships of $2,500 for up to two seniors at each of the area’s four public high schools –Bruton, Lafayette, Jamestown and Warhill. Scholarships are awarded based on applicants’ academic merit, achievements, demonstrated character and financial need.
Interested seniors should contact their high school guidance counselors for eligibility details and applications.
Community Involvement
The Williamsburg Pottery has a decades-long tradition of community involvement and corporate citizenship. In the past 10 years alone, it has earned multiple community service awards from such organizations as the Lions Club, Jamestown 2007/America’s 400th Anniversary commemoration, the Williamsburg/James City County Regional Library, the Alumni Council of the College of William & Mary, Child Development Resource, and the YMCA, as well as business environmental excellence awards from James City County Economic Development.
Kim Maloney, President of the Williamsburg Pottery, has been personally recognized with numerous awards of appreciation, including the American Cancer Society, the Kiwanis Club, the James City County Board of Supervisors; the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce; and the Commonwealth of Virginia for her contributions to business and the community.
Kim volunteers her time to several civic, community and non-profit organizations in the Hampton Roads region. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Fort Monroe Authority, which oversees the preservation, conservation, protection, and maintenance of this history-rich former military base and National Historic Monument, guiding the renewal of Fort Monroe as a vibrant and thriving community. More recently, she was asked to join the the Board of the Fort Monroe Foundation, the non-profit organization which funds the ongoing protection and preservation of Fort Monroe, as well as public programming there.
Kim is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Colonial Heritage Community Foundation (CHCF), a public charity committed to enhancing the quality of life for older adults and their families in Greater Williamsburg and ensuring that seniors are able to remain at home for as long as possible. In addition to educational outreach and programs to improve health/well-being and provide respite and resources for caregivers of senior family members, CHCF has been a driving force in the coalition and partnerships that are establishing an Adult Day Care center in the Williamsburg area.
Williamsburg Pottery’s Executive Vice President Peter J. Kao also volunteers his time and experience, especially on behalf of higher education. In 2011, Peter accepted an appointment to the Board of Visitors of Norfolk State University, an executive branch supervisory board responsible for University operations including requests for appropriations.
Business Partnerships
Williamsburg Pottery is proud to support the business community of the Historic Triangle and the Commonwealth of Virginia. We maintain active memberships and/or participation in the following organizations:
Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance
Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce
Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association
Virginia Tourism Corporation