Rubbing%20Wall%3A%20American%20Encaustic%20Tiling%20Company

I%27ll%20share%20more%20about%20the%20wall%20in%20the%20photo%20of%20the%20new%20wing%2C%20but%20this%20is%20my%20favourite%20image%20from%20the%20rubbing%20wall%20%28which%20features%20special%20sections%20noting%20important%20events%20in%20Zanesville%27s%20history%29.%0A%0AEncaustic%20tile%20is%20an%20unusual-sounding%20tile%2C%20these%20days%u2014the%20colour%20%0A%26amp%3B%20pattern%20on%20it%20is%20created%20not%20by%20glaze%2C%20but%20instead%20by%20different%20colours%20of%20clay%20%28as%20many%20as%20six%29%20inlaid%20onto%20the%20tile%20and%20dust-pressed%20and/or%20glazed%3B%20thus%2C%20as%20the%20tile%20itself%20wears%20down%20over%20time%2C%20the%20design%20remains.%20%0A%0AThe%20hydraulic%20press%20creating%20these%20tiles%20was%20invented%20and%20patented%20right%20here%20in%20Zanesville%20by%20the%20American%20Encaustic%20Tiling%20Company%3B%20in%20short%20order%20%281890%2C%20according%20to%20Wikipedia%29%2C%20the%20company%20was%20the%20largest%20tile%20manufacturer%20in%20the%20world.%20Way%20to%20go%2C%20Ohio%21%0A%0AIndeed%2C%20so%20successful%20was%20American%20Encaustic%20Tiling%20that%20by%20that%20grand%20year%20of%201890%2C%20their%20original%20factory%20was%20too%20small%2C%20and%20the%20company%20planned%20to%20move%20to%20New%20York.%20Zanesville%20residents%2C%20understandably%20reluctant%20to%20lose%20both%20the%20jobs%20and%20the%20local%20pride%20involved%20in%20having%20such%20a%20company%20in%20town%2C%20rallied%20to%20pass%20a%20%2440%2C000%20bond%20to%20purchase%20land%20near%20the%20rail%20lines%20beside%20the%20Muskingum%20River%20to%20keep%20the%20company%20in%20town%21%20When%20the%20new%20factory%20opened%20in%201892%2C%20a%20massive%20celebration%20was%20held%u2014Governor%20William%20McKinley%20himself%20showed%20up%20to%20lead%2020%2C000%20other%20Ohioans%20in%20giving%20the%20new%20place%20a%20grand%20opening%20party.%0A%0AEncaustic%20tiles%20seem%20to%20have%20been%20used%20mostly%20decoratively%2C%20for%20fireplaces%20and%20decorative%20use%3B%20I%20wonder%20if%20the%20Shakespearean%20fireplace%20surround%20tiles%20we%20swooned%20over%20at%20a%20Victorian%20in%20Leetonia%20were%20made%20by%20this%20company%3F%20At%20any%20rate%2C%20American%20Encaustic%20also%20made%20standard%20wall%20tiles%u2014no%20doubt%20particularly%20popular%20after%20the%20Spanish%20Flu%20epidemic%2C%20when%20interest%20in%20cleanliness%20and%20sanitization%20reached%20%28understandably%29%20a%20passionate%20high.%0A%0AUnfortunately%2C%20the%20Great%20Depression%20put%20an%20end%20to%20American%20Encaustic%3B%20the%20company%20was%20forced%20to%20close%20in%201935.%20Glass%20tile%20was%20also%20becoming%20more%20popular%20at%20this%20time%2C%20no%20doubt%20making%20life%20more%20difficult%20for%20a%20company%20manufacturing%20clay%20tiles.%20It%20looks%20like%20the%20remains%20were%20bought%20out%20by%20Shawnee%20Pottery.%20For%20all%20intents%20and%20purposes%2C%20American%20Encaustic%20is%20entirely%20gone%20now.%20Alas%21%20Wouldn%27t%20mind%20using%20something%20like%20this%20%27round%20the%20fireplace%20when%20we%20build%20the%20Big%20House.%0A%0AYou%20may%20not%20find%20this%20fascinating%2C%20but%20I%20did.%20%3B%29%20Flickr%20will%20not%20let%20us%20prettify%20our%20links%20any%20longer%2C%20alas%2C%20so%20here%20are%20the%20handful%20I%20managed%20to%20dig%20up%20tonight.%20Happy%20perusing%2C%20fellow%20history%20nerds%21%20%0A%0AWikipedia%20entry%20%28brief%20but%20some%20nice%20examples%29%3A%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Encaustic_Tiling_Company%22%20rel%3D%22noreferrer%20nofollow%22%3Een.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Encaustic_Tiling_Company%3C/a%3E%0A%0ANew%20factory%20dedication%20tile%20%28it%27s%20quite%20lovely%2C%20actually%29%3A%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.tileheritage.org/THF-TileoftheMonth-Apr-04.html%22%20rel%3D%22noreferrer%20nofollow%22%3Ewww.tileheritage.org/THF-TileoftheMonth-Apr-04.html%3C/a%3E%0A%0AMany%20examples%20of%20American%20Encaustic%20Tiling%20Company%27s%20work%20%28Time%20Vortex%20Alert%29%3A%20%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.kovels.com/antique-collectibles-prices/pottery-porcelain-look-alikes/american-encaustic-tiling-company%22%20rel%3D%22noreferrer%20nofollow%22%3Ewww.kovels.com/antique-collectibles-prices/pottery-porcel...%3C/a%3E%0A%0AEncaustic%20Tiles%20%26amp%3B%20President%20McKinley%20at%20the%20Glassner%20House%20Museum%3A%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.glessnerhouse.org/story-of-a-house/tag/American+Encaustic+Tile+Company%22%20rel%3D%22noreferrer%20nofollow%22%3Ewww.glessnerhouse.org/story-of-a-house/tag/American+Encau...%3C/a%3E%0A%0AWikipedia%20entry%20about%20encaustic%20tile%3A%0A%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encaustic_tile%22%20rel%3D%22noreferrer%20nofollow%22%3Een.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encaustic_tile%3C/a%3E%0A%0A

source https://www.flickr.com/photo.gne?id=49864309383