This sixteen-foot-tall enamelware coffee pot symbolizes Granite City's industrial heritage. Modeled after the graniteware produced by the NESCO Company, it reflects the process that gave the town its name. In the early 1900s, Granite City became a center for enamelware manufacturing because the Niedringhaus brothers founded Granite City Steel Company and brought a revolutionary enameling technique from Germany. Their National Enameling and Stamping Company, or NESCO, became one of the largest producers of enamel-coated kitchenware in the United States. These speckled pots and pans, known as graniteware, were a staple in American kitchens for generations. NESCO's success helped fuel Granite City's growth, attracted workers from around the world, and shaped the city's unique identity.
