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Matt Arnold
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Matt Arnold
There are only six family-owned handcrafted pewter studios left in the U.S., and one of them is in the heart of downtown Millersburg.
Three Feathers Pewter draws customers from as far away as Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand to buy its one-of-a-kind creations. Public leaders approve, too, as Three Feathers has done commissions including Christmas tree ornaments for both the Governor’s Mansion Tree for Ohio’s Bicentennial and the Blue Room Tree at the White House.
Opened in 1995, the award-winning pewter studio blends functionality with artisanship for completely made-in-house jewelry, buttons, serving pieces and candlestick holders. The shop glows with lustrous pewter objects that have been researched and authenticated, like gleaming cups made from Thomas Jefferson’s design and best-selling historic reproductions of buttons going back to the 1500s.
“We have a quality product based on historic foundations,” says Master Pewterer David “Three Feathers” Jones. In part, he built his knowledge for authentication through extensive museum trips and intense study of museum catalogs.
Visitors can tour the Three Feathers gallery and workshop and talk with local makers. Many are inspired by stories from these expert pewterers as they learn about history and craftsmanship. Three Feathers buys metal ingot and sheet from a rolling mill, then employs smelter machinery to create the pewter using a lead-free formula from 1790s England.
Jones first came to pewtering by making miniature soldiers for war gaming. His long journey to mastery followed the traditional course over which a seven- to 10-year apprenticeship under Master Pewterers leads to Journeyman Pewterer status. After being a Journeyman Pewterer for at least another seven years and meeting requirements, the status of Master Pewterer is achieved.
He is proud of how Three Feathers’ jewelry merges historic, modern and combination styles, and references his Celtic and Native American heritage.
The Three Feathers symbol grew out of Jones’ dual heritage. It honors his Welsh lineage through his father with the three feathers symbol of Wales and Native American heritage through his mother. Jones got connected with Shawnee people, and a chief granted him the name of Three Feathers in recognition of his Navy service.
“In the Native American culture, an eagle feather denotes warrior status,” says Jones.
His wife, Willa Hollingsworth, apprenticed with Jones for seven years and is now a Master Journeyman. When Jones retired, she became the owner of Three Feathers.
Jones and Hollingsworth appreciate customers who have a sense of history, tradition and quality. Hollingsworth favors candleholders, such as the distinctively shaped rose and lotus examples that grip candles in each pewter flower’s center. She loves developing new pieces with historical significance, and she savors the research and creativity involved in classic creations, like early American Colonial-style ringed chamber candleholders. “Our customers see how genuine we are in preserving the craft,” Hollingsworth says.
