Revival
Styles Renew Interest in Clay Roofing Tiles
By the mid-19th century, the introduction of the Italianate Villa style
of architecture in the United States prompted a new interest in clay tiles
for roofing. This had the effect of revitalizing the clay tile manufacturing
industry, and by the 1870s, new factories were in business, including large
operations in Akron, Ohio, and Baltimore, Maryland.
 The clay tile roof is important in defining the character of the c. 1917 Mission-style Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina. Photo: NPS files. |
Clay tiles were promoted
by the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, which featured several
prominent buildings with tile roofs, including a pavilion for the state
of New Jersey roofed with clay tiles of local manufacture. Tile-making machines
were first patented in the 1870s, and although much roofing tile continued
to be made by hand, by the 1880s more and more factories were beginning
to use machines. The development of the Romanesque Revival style
of architecture in the 1890s further strengthened the role of clay roofing
tiles as an American building material.
Alternative substitutes for clay tiles were also needed to meet this
new demand. By about 1855, sheet metal roofs designed to replicate the
patterns of clay tile were being produced. Usually painted a natural terra
cotta color to emulate real clay tile, these sheet metal roofs became popular
because they were cheaper and lighter, and easier to install than clay
tile roofs.
 Clay tiles emphasize the prominence of the peaked roofs of these late 19th century rowhouses. Photo: NPS files. |
Clay roofing tiles fell out of fashion again for a short time at the
end of the 19th century, but once more gained acceptance in the 20th century,
due primarily to the popularity of the Romantic Revival architectural styles,
including Mission, Spanish, Mediterranean, Georgian and Renaissance Revival
in which clay tile roofs featured prominently. With the availability of
machines capable of extruding clay in a variety of forms in large quantities,
clay tiles became more readily available across the nation. More regional
manufacturing plants were established in areas with large natural deposits
of clay, including Alfred, New York; New Lexington, Ohio; Lincoln, California;
and Atlanta, Georgia; as well as Indiana, Illinois and Kansas.
The popularity of clay tile roofing, and look-alike substitute roofing
materials, continues in the 20th century, especially in areas of the South
and West-most notably Florida and California--where Mediterranean and Spanish--influenced
styles of architecture still predominate.
"The Preservation and Repair of Historic Clay Tile Roofs" an Historic Preservation Brief
