OH__Cincinnati--Wheatley Tile Company Showroom

THE WHEATLEY TILE COMPANY SHOWROOM--CINCINNATI, OH

(Lost)

Official Title of Installation, if any:

Wheatley Tile Company Showroom

Materials Used:

Ceramic tiles

General Description:

"The decorative tile fountain was installed on a wall in the Wheatley Tile showroom building when it was built in the early 1920s. It was laid tile by tile on a brick wall covered with a two inch veneer of concrete set on two levels. The top half was in the entrance hall and the bottom half was about two feet lower in the original showroom and set in concrete. Since the concrete is harder than the tiles and the tiles tend to break, the removal of the entire wall was required to remove the fountain intact. Williams secured the salvage contract with less than two weeks to go before demolition. ...

In addition to the fountain the project included the salvage of the pair of 9 foot tall mosaic tile columns with gilt Corinthian capitols that originally flanked the fountain, a pair of bronze exterior sconces that were on each side of the massive entrance door with a bronze grill and a pair of impressive 9 foot tall oak arched doors. A number of 6 by 6 inch Wheatley decorative tiles from around the showroom and many decorative floor tiles, including two cold air returns depicting parrots, were recovered."****

Technical Information (Size,mfg., etc.):

Tiles manufactured by the Wheatley Pottery

Year Installed, if different:

early 1920s

Does Installation Still Exist?

No

If Not, What Happened?

The building was demolished, but some of the original tilework was salvaged by Wooden Nickel Antiques.*

State:

Ohio

City:

Cincinnati

Location of Installation:

561 Reading Road

Additional Information, Websites, Citations:

Thomas J. Wheatley founded T.J. Wheatley and Company (1880-1882) and the

Wheatley Pottery Company (with Isaac Kahn in 1903). Wheatley Pottery produced

an arts and crafts style pottery. T.J. Wheatley worked in Cincinnati, OH, with

founders of the art pottery movement, including M. Louise McLaughlin of

Rookwood, and played a role in founding the Cincinnati Art Pottery in 1880.

Wheatley's plant was destroyed by fire in 1910. However, Wheatley continued

producing pottery until 1927 when the Cambridge Tile Manufacturing Company

bought Wheatley Pottery.* Photos courtesy of Wooden Nickel Antiques.

*http://www.woodennickelantiques.net/Arch_Salvage.html

**http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/8230740

***http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/8230742

****http://www.salvonews.com/usa/wooden-nickel-salvages-historic-cincinnati-tileworks-x57444x9.html

Submitted by and Year:

Submitted by Michael Williams, owner of Wooden Nickel Antiques (woodennickel"at"fuse.net) and Michael Padwee (tileback101"at"collector.org) in February 2011.