Ernest Batchelder's ceramic tile making enterprise began as a modest backyard venture in rural Pasadena, California but quickly grew to national prominence. In 1908 this enterprising young man left a prestigious teaching position to start his own school and factory, with the goal of establishing a West Coast guild of craftspeople. By 1930 the Batchelder-Wilson Company had showrooms in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, as well as representation in virtually every major city in the United States. New York, Minneapolis, and Vancouver hosted major Batchelder architectural ceramic installations. Eartly-20th-century Arts and Crafts tiles produced by Ernest Batchelder are examined in Batchelder Tilemaker. Many are still seen today on fireplace surrounds in modest bungalows across the country.