Homer Laughlin began in the 1870s located in East Liverpool Ohio and was founded by Homer and Shakespeare Laughlin. The company originally started as Ohio valley pottery then renamed Laughlin bros.
In 1879, Shakespeare sold his interest to Homer. Homer renamed the company as Homer Laughlin company and ran it for two decades before selling it to investors which included his former bookkeeper W.E.Wells along with Louis Aaron and his sons in 1897. The new owners moved to Nevell West Virginia in 1907, The factory still operates today as the HCL Inc. Family of companies that includes the Hall China co.
Virginia rose was first introduced in 1929 and the line ran from 1932 until 1968. Virginia rose refers to the name of the shape of the plates rather than a name of a pattern. The shape of the plate is not round rather it is a molded edge which is a swirl design. There were four versions of this plate created before the final design was chosen. The name of the plate was named Virginia rose after Virginia rose Wells, the
granddaughter of W.E.Wells.
