Located just north of CN's Outer Station, this feldspar-receiving tile plant; a single spur, was served by both CN and CP. An early-20th century stock photo of the Frontenac Floor & Wall plant, from a booklet highlighting the local commercial scene (top photo). Note long sign with the name of the plant. This south-side spur appears in other photos, such as this earlier one published in the Whig in 1913: 
In 1913, the city accepted Charles Warwick's request to organize the tile manufacturing company. The company requested a site near the Outer Harbour (the Elliott or Nicholson properties) and a railway spur. The company planned a 300x100-foot building costing $30,000. Planned employment was 60 workers, with completion by July 15, 1913. The city was prepared to give the land to the firm, "beyond GTR Junction", though its value was $3,100 and cost of siding construction would be $2,500. Frontenac finally settled on the Outer Station site, just outside city limit, and another company (Reliance Moulding) was expected in the area soon. At the time, this was the first and only manufacturer of its kind in Canada!
It hosted hopper cars, tank cars and boxcars, perhaps for inbound feldspar and coal, inbound oil or liquid chemicals, and supplies or outbound product, respectively.
More views from the strike. It's not all grim picketing on the line. Sometimes, a square dance spontaneously broke out!
The square dancer with the fatigue jacket is back on picket duty, with Gould Battery in the left background:
It was a cold day, and the strikers huddle around a makeshift stove, sheltered from the wind:
Close-up view of tank car GATX 51374:
An interesting history of the Frontenac plant and Richardson family connection, originally written for the Kingston Historical Society's Limelight newsletter, March 2008 issue, by Jennifer McKendry:
Via Neil Patterson: When driving from Chaffeys to Kingston on the Opinicon Road one passes over a small one-lane cement bridge at the head of Upper Rock Lake. This is not just a bridge over a winding creek, but a dug canal to Stonehouse Lake and the Railway Siding beside the lake. Between 1913 and 1951, over 228, 000 tons of feldspar went up this Canal to be loaded onto rail cars for Frontenac Floor and Wall Tile in Kingston. Frontenac Floor and Wall Tile opened in Kingston by James Richardson and Company who also owned the Rock Lake Feldspar Mine. The mine was opened in 1900 and shipped feldspar to tile plants in Trenton New Jersey. When the tile plant opened in Kingston, the canal was dug to get the ore to the Canadian Northern Railway Line. Prior to the railway, the ore was taken by horse and wagon to the dock on Opinicon Lake at Opinicon Village. Feldspar is used as the glaze on tile and Rock Lake’s blue feldspar made the large tile squares look like marble. In the first 12 years of the mines operation, about 22,000 tons of ore was transported for shipment out through the Rideau.
A major fire beset the factory in 1950. (Three photos - Queen's University Archives, George Lilley Fonds V25.5-11-162):
Whig clipping about a fire at the plant on November 25, 1952:
Front office, east-side views:
Aerial view. Note tank car at left on spur.
The plant employed 150 workers and was listed as a division of United Ceramics Lrd. in 1967. It was operated by German interests in 1971. The plant was operated as a branch of distribution company D.A.White from 1972-1979 and beset by a 1977 strike of the 46 workers. At the time, this was the only plant manufacturing ceramic floor and wall tiles in Canada. Reputedly never operating at a profit, the strike was over wages, with union members suggesting the plant operated as a convenient tax write-off for its owners. Now competing with Japan, German and English manufacturers with lower costs.
In June,1981 the plant was operating as Clinton Ceramic Tile Inc., in conjunction with Pilkington Tiles (Bermuda) Limited. Employing 90 workers, unglazed floor tiles for industrial use were in production, though a new product to be manufactured in a part of the plant not used for 10 years, employing 10-15 new hires. Closing a very few years later, a closing sale was publicized from Augus (Whig ad - below) to December 1989, becoming a demolition sale in February, 1990.
Insurance map views show the expansion of the plant over the decades as new product lines were added and the kilns replaced:
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| 1929 insurance map floorplan |
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| 1947 insurance map floorplan |
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| 1963 insurance map floorplan |
Watch for an upcoming post on modelling this unique operation.
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