The Mosaic Tile Company

Founded in 1894, the Mosaic Tile Company was the dream of two ceramic pioneers who intended to manufacture innovative ceramic mosaic murals while also dominating the utilitarian market. One of the largest such companies in the United States at the time, MTC’s most significant contribution to the burgeoning Ohio pottery industry was the development of innovative and varied proprietary tile production and installation methods. Compared to its emphasis on mosaic murals, MTC’s utilitarian and giftware goods were produced in limited quantities and were not well received at the time, making them rarer today. This book chronicles the history of ceramic creativity in Zanesville, Ohio, from its earliest days as a bustling town before the Great Depression through its recovery in the 1960s. It examines the Mosaic Tile Company’s whole history, the bygone details of this long-lost business, its products and its employees, and incorporates images and postcards illustrating its products in each chapter.

Larisa Harper has been a higher education professional for more than 25 years, specializing in postsecondary and secondary education partnerships and dual enrollment along with research, policy, and grant writing. She has spoken at hundreds of local, state, and national venues to promote lifelong learning, higher education, and career planning. She lives in Zanesville, Ohio.

Larisa Harper

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 186
Bibliographic Info: 161 photos (51 in color), appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8795-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4561-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
1. The Founding of Zanesville, Ohio 3
2. Establishing the Pottery Industry in Southeastern Ohio 11
3. Mosaic Tile Company Begins: 1894 through World War I 18
4. World War I through 1928 28
Between pages 30 and 31 are 8 color plates containing 28 images
5. The Great Depression through 1960 31
6. 1960 through the Closing of the Zanesville Facility 37
7. The Sad State of the Company’s Property in the 21st Century 40
8. Decorative and Practical Architectural Installations in Southeastern Ohio 47
Between pages 82 and 83 are 8 color plates containing 23 images
9. On the Road with Mosaic Tile—Installations Within Ohio and the United States 83
10. Animals and Paperweights and Trivets, Oh My! 99
Epilogue 131
Appendix: Compilation of Additional Sites of Installations 133
Chapter Notes 135
Bibliography 149
Index 157