An exciting find
Comments Off on An exciting findDuring renovation of the Downtown YMCA last year, craftsman-style tiles were salvaged from an original fireplace. It wasn’t until the tiles were carefully extracted and cleaned that an inscription was seen on the back that said Batchelder. By researching this name, we discovered that Ernest Batchelder was a California artist who producing hand molded tiles beginning in 1909. His tiles, which typically include subject such as animals, birds, flowers, Mayan and Medieval motifs, were hugely popular and by the 1920s, could be found in homes and buildings across the United States.
How his tiles came to be installed in the Downtown YMCA when it was built in 1924 is unknown. Some of the tiles that were salvaged are pictured below.