|
Charles Elsenius, a brick mason by trade, specialized in fireplace and chimney installations
in the San Francisco Bay Area during the boom years of the 1920s. Seeing a niche for himself
in the competitive tile market at that time, he founded the Woolenius Tile Company in 1927
producing tiles in direct competition with numerous other Bay Area companies. The advantage
of Woolenius tiles was that they were considerably less expensive than the others, yet equally
attractive. Elsenius worked with tract builders, in particular Charles MacGregor, who was
well-established in building lower-priced homes, those that distinguished themselves by
having colorful tiled stair risers at their entrances and beautifully (or exotically) tiled
fireplace surrounds inside. The company closed in 1941.
For a more detailed account see the chapter by tile historian Riley Doty in California Tile,
The Golden Era 1910-1940: Hispano-Moresque to Woolenius, published by Schiffer, 2004.
|
