William Benjamin (W. B.) Stephen and his family moved from Iowa to Tennessee in W. B.’s youth started out in the pottery industry as the new themes in pottery were evolving. He was born in 1876 to Andrew and Nellie Stephen of Clinton, Iowa. The family relocated to Tennessee when W. B. Stephen. He helped his father as an apprentice mason and discovered some unique clay. His mother helped him experiment with different shapes and colors and in turn, he discovered his love of pottery. They created Nonconnah Pottery in 1904. After his parents died, he moved to North Carolina and began a second Nonconnah in Skyland. Stephen’s next pottery was Pisgah Forest and was in Arden, beginning in 1926. He incorporated new glazes that came about with the Arts and Crafts movement and was an avid fan of Chinese styles. Many of the Pisgah Forest pieces were sold in regional galleries and gift shops. Stephen joined the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild in 1939 and benefited for sales there.
(Source – The Third Time’s a Charm:Walter B. Stephen and Pisgah Forest Pottery. Webpage was prepared by Grace Leonard, Smoky Mountain High School and University of Richmond.)