Share Name the Cat on FacebookShare Name the Cat on TwitterShare Name the Cat on LinkedinEmail Name the Cat link
Help the Birmingham Museum name this cat! School-aged Birmingham children submitted names for the fun feline who adorns this newly rediscovered tile from the old Barnum School’s historic storybook fireplace. Now it’s your turn: vote for your favorite name by Friday, April 4, 2025. The name with the most votes will be printed on a sign next to the display (along with the student's name) and shared on social media. Stop by to see the tile in its rightful place adorning the fireplace later this year!
Background Information
City workers recently made an interesting discovery in a storage facility -- hearth tiles from the historic Flint Faience fireplace from the Barnum School! The tiles were part of a unique storybook fireplace design that included nursery rhyme characters and animals. The main fireplace was saved when the school was torn down and re-installed at the Birmingham Museum in 2012, but the hearth tiles were believed lost. They are mostly plain brown field tiles but a few have animal characters. The museum plans to add the character tiles to its permanent display. One tile, in particular, features a cat that is very much in need of a name. Thank you to the community for helping us name our newly rediscovered feline friend!
Did you know?
Discover the history of Barnum School and its fireplace
Barnum School was built in 1912 as Birmingham experienced a population boom. It served as an elementary and junior high for the district before closing in 1976. In 2008 it was demolished, but thanks to community involvement, the land became Barnum Park and the entrance and smokestack of the school remain on the site.
When the school was demolished, the Flint Faience and Tile Company's historic storybook fireplace was rescued and stored. In 2011, the museum worked with the Friends of the Birmingham Museum to raise over $15,000 in funds to create a faithful permanent display of the unique work of art. Individual donors and the Birmingham Rotary joined efforts to provide funding, and it was installed where the public could appreciate it--right inside the Allen House!
Barnum School, as well as Quarton, Pierce and Adams all had/have Flint Faience fireplaces. Flint Faience was made in, you guessed it, Flint as a part of the auto industry in the 1920s and '30s. GM had a processing plant making spark plugs that used ceramic, which needed to be fired in large kilns. The kilns fired best when they were run constantly but there wasn't THAT big a demand for spark plugs to fire them 24/7, so at night these kilns fired tiles.
Help the Birmingham Museum name this cat! School-aged Birmingham children submitted names for the fun feline who adorns this newly rediscovered tile from the old Barnum School’s historic storybook fireplace. Now it’s your turn: vote for your favorite name by Friday, April 4, 2025. The name with the most votes will be printed on a sign next to the display (along with the student's name) and shared on social media. Stop by to see the tile in its rightful place adorning the fireplace later this year!
Background Information
City workers recently made an interesting discovery in a storage facility -- hearth tiles from the historic Flint Faience fireplace from the Barnum School! The tiles were part of a unique storybook fireplace design that included nursery rhyme characters and animals. The main fireplace was saved when the school was torn down and re-installed at the Birmingham Museum in 2012, but the hearth tiles were believed lost. They are mostly plain brown field tiles but a few have animal characters. The museum plans to add the character tiles to its permanent display. One tile, in particular, features a cat that is very much in need of a name. Thank you to the community for helping us name our newly rediscovered feline friend!
Did you know?
Discover the history of Barnum School and its fireplace
Barnum School was built in 1912 as Birmingham experienced a population boom. It served as an elementary and junior high for the district before closing in 1976. In 2008 it was demolished, but thanks to community involvement, the land became Barnum Park and the entrance and smokestack of the school remain on the site.
When the school was demolished, the Flint Faience and Tile Company's historic storybook fireplace was rescued and stored. In 2011, the museum worked with the Friends of the Birmingham Museum to raise over $15,000 in funds to create a faithful permanent display of the unique work of art. Individual donors and the Birmingham Rotary joined efforts to provide funding, and it was installed where the public could appreciate it--right inside the Allen House!
Barnum School, as well as Quarton, Pierce and Adams all had/have Flint Faience fireplaces. Flint Faience was made in, you guessed it, Flint as a part of the auto industry in the 1920s and '30s. GM had a processing plant making spark plugs that used ceramic, which needed to be fired in large kilns. The kilns fired best when they were run constantly but there wasn't THAT big a demand for spark plugs to fire them 24/7, so at night these kilns fired tiles.
Help the Birmingham Museum name this cat! School-aged Birmingham children submitted names for the fun feline who adorns this newly rediscovered tile from the old Barnum School’s historic storybook fireplace. Now it’s your turn: vote for your favorite name below by Friday, April 4, 2025. The name with the most votes will be printed on a sign next to the display (along with the student's name) and shared on social media. Stop by to see the tile in its rightful place adorning the fireplace later this year!
Share Vote for Your Favorite Name on FacebookShare Vote for Your Favorite Name on TwitterShare Vote for Your Favorite Name on LinkedinEmail Vote for Your Favorite Name link
Share Vote for Your Favorite Name on Facebook Share Vote for Your Favorite Name on Twitter Share Vote for Your Favorite Name on Linkedin Email Vote for Your Favorite Name link
