30 Pewabic Pottery Artworks in Metro Detroit
Pewabic Pottery was founded in 1903 by Mary Chase Perry and ‘Revelation Kiln’ developer Horace J. Caulkins at the peak of the American Arts & Crafts movement. In 1918 Perry would marry architect William “Buck” Stratton who also designed the 1907 structure at 10125 East Jefferson Avenue which houses Pewabic Pottery’s studio, showroom and museum to this day. Mary Stratton’s pervasive influence on Detroit’s skyline and architectural legacy is unquestioned and unique among non-architects. I Love Detroit Michigan presents here, for your pleasure, an inventory of our favorite public and semi-public Pewabic Pottery artworks in Metropolitan Detroit. Enjoy!
1.
Pewabic tile floor mosaics (c.1958), Kirk in the Hills narthex, 1340 West Long Lake Rd, Bloomfield Hills.
2. Pewabic tile floor (c.1928), Christ Church Cranbrook choir, Lone Pine & Church Rd, Bloomfield Hills.
3. Baptismal Font in Pewabic tile (c.1995), St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church, 48115 Schoenherr Rd, Shelby Township.
4.
Drinking fountain in Pewabic tile (c.2003), Clinton-Macomb Public Library Main Branch, 40900 Romeo Plank Rd, Clinton Township.
5. Baptismal Font in Pewabic tile (c.2010), St. Ronald Catholic Church, 17701 Fifteen Mile Rd, Clinton Township.
6. Custom Pewabic “Cottage Hospital” emblem (c.2001), main entrance alcove of Henry Ford Cottage Hospital, 159 Kercheval Avenue, Grosse Pointe Farms.
7. Detroit skyline & riverfront in Pewabic tile, Edith McNaughton Ford Center for Radiation Oncology at Henry Ford Cottage Hospital, 159 Kercheval Avenue, Grosse Pointe Farms.
8. Detroit themed Pewabic ceramics, Pewabic Pottery Store & Museum, 10125 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit.
9. Custom fireplace mantle in Pewabic tile, ‘Legacy Collection’ showroom, Pewabic Pottery Store & Museum, 10125 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit.
10.
Custom Pewabic backsplash tiles, ‘Legacy Collection’ showroom, Pewabic Pottery Store & Museum, 10125 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit.
11. Spanish coat-of-arms in ceramic tile (c.1907), 2nd floor, Pewabic Pottery Store & Museum, 10125 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit. (This is the one entry in our list that we’re not 100% certain is actually made from Pewabic tile. It sure looks good, though, and it has a great back story so we included it anyway. -Eds.)
12. Naval & Maritime Service Pewabic Emblems (c.1930), R. Thornton Brodhead Naval Armory entrance pavillion, 7600 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit.
13. “Sister Water” by Hashim Al-Tawil (c.2002-2008), Father Solanus Casey Center, Mt. Elliot Street between Kercheval & St. Paul Avenue, Detroit.
14. Caulkins Family Memorial (c.1920s), Elmwood Cemetery, Section 11, Robert Bradby Drive & Lafayette St, Detroit. (Horace J. Caulkins, buried here, was Mary Chase Stratton’s founding partner at Pewabic Pottery and the developer of Pewabic’s revolutionary ‘Revelation’ kiln. We’re told that Stratton herself designed and fired the Pewabic tiles for this monument.)
15.
Griswold Street entrance Pewabic mosaic (c.1929), Guardian Building, Griswold & Congress Street, Detroit.
16. Congress Street window frame Pewabic mosaic (c.1929), Guardian Building, Griswold & Congress Street, Detroit.
17. “In Honor of Mary Chase Stratton” by Diana Kulisek with Pewabic Pottery (c.1987), Detroit People Mover: Cadillac Center Station, Detroit.
18. “Detroit New Morning” in Pewabic tile by Alvin Loving, Jr. (c.1987), Detroit People Mover: Millender Center Station, Detroit.
19. “In Honor of W. Hawkins Ferry” by Tom Phardel with Pewabic Pottery (c.1987), Detroit People Mover: Times Square Station, Detroit.
20. “People Mover: Art in the Stations” in Pewabic tile (c.1987), Detroit People Mover: Times Square Station, Detroit.
21. Detroit Tigers Pewabic tile mosaic #1 (c.2000), Comerica Park, Montcalm Street just east of John R, Detroit.
22. Detroit Tigers Pewabic tile mosaic #2 (c.2000), Comerica Park, Witherell at Elizabeth Street, Detroit.
23. Pewabic tile drinking fountain, Wayne State University ‘Old Main’ building, Cass & Warren Avenue, Detroit.
24. Pewabic tile fireplace mantle, Detroit Public Library Main Branch ‘Teen Zone’ (formerly ‘Children’s Library’), 5201 Woodward Avenue, Detroit.
25. Pewabic scarab medallion (c.1928), The Scarab Club, John R & Farnsworth Street, Detroit.
26. Central door Pewabic mosaics (c.1931), David Mackenzie High School, 9275 Wyoming Street, Detroit.
27.
Central roofline Pewabic mosaic (c.1931), David Mackenzie High School, 9275 Wyoming Street, Detroit.
28. North & south roofline Pewabic mosaics (c.1931), David Mackenzie High School, 9275 Wyoming Street, Detroit.
29. North & south door Pewabic mosaics (c.1931), David Mackenzie High School, 9275 Wyoming Street, Detroit.
30.
Pewabic tile floor mosaics (c.1921), Church of the Most Holy Redeemer chancel, Junction St & West Vernor Highway, Detroit.
Do you know of a public Pewabic Pottery artwork that we haven’t covered here? We’d love to hear about it. Please do us a huge favor and email the location and any relevant details to [email protected] so we can cover it in a future post. ~I♥DM
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About the author
Dale Carlson grew up along the northeastern shores of Lake Michigan, where at a young age Detroit called out to him in his dreams. In 2008, after extended stays in ten different Michigan cities, the author settled permanently in southeast Oakland County where he currently lives and works in various capacities within the local real estate industry.
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