The term "folk pottery" refers to a unique group of craftsmen who have strong ties to place and family. During the Civil War, the first known Hewell potter, Nathaniel, produced jugs and churns for his fellow farmers. His son moved the pottery to Gillsville, Georgia, where today it is a multi-generational business run by Harold, his wife Grace Nell, their son, Chester, and grandchildren Matthew, Nathaniel, Eli and Susannah. One of the region's largest producers of garden ware, Hewell Pottery also makes the wood-fired, alkaline and ash glazed stoneware made seven generations ago. As Chester Hewell explains: "We got it in our blood, making pottery. If you got clay in your veins, you'll continue to do what you're doing."