The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, a National Historic Landmark, is maintained as a “working history” museum in Bucks County, PA. Handmade tiles are still produced in a manner similar to that developed by the pottery’s founder and builder, Henry Chapman Mercer. Mercer was a major proponent of the Arts & Crafts Movement in America. He directed the work at the pottery from 1898 until his death in 1930. Many of the original processes are still used at Moravian Tile Works. Tiles are made from local unrefined clay applying the same tools and techniques used more than a century ago. They work seven days a week and fire on a 3 day schedule year round. The only part of the process that has really seen any modernization is the way the work is fired. Moravian has many old coal fed kilns that have been retired but are still on display today. Work fired in these kilns required saggars to protect them from the carbon in the atmosphere created by the coal fuel. With new technology available Moravian decided to achieve oxidation firings in three L&L electric kilns. Adam Zayas, the head ceramist at the tile works, says he was attracted to L&L kilns because of the demands of his high volume, high profile production schedule. L&L kilns are designed with the durability and precision required to maintain Moravian’s highly regarded and historically true reputation. (www.buckscounty.org/government/departments/ tileworks/index.aspx)