National Building Arts Center

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National Building Arts Center

NBAC promotes the study of the full scope of building culture instead of isolating its components into fragmented fields.
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The National Building Arts Center is a research and study center encompassing the largest collection of architectural and building arts artifacts in the United States. In the long term, we hope to change the way in which Americans conceive of their building culture, including the idea that its history is somehow over and behind us.

03/17/2026

🍀 No pot of gold needed—we've got something better! ☘️

This St. Patrick's Day, we're feeling extra green when we look at our collection of these stunning clay roofing tiles. Did you know clay roofing tiles have been around for over 10,000 years? That's a whole lot of lucky rooftops!

Clay roof tiles have protected homes across ancient China, the Mediterranean, and Europe for millennia. Naturally fire-resistant and virtually impervious to rot, insects, and harsh weather, clay tiles routinely last 50–100 years or more with minimal maintenance. They’re prized for their natural beauty and timeless appeal, even on modern homes.

Clay tiles have stood the test of time, and we think they look fantastic in green. 💚

03/12/2026

This catalog from the New York Architectural Terra Cotta Co. may have been published back in 1888, but it’s one of the most-viewed documents from the NBAC collection on the APT Building Technology Heritage Library (BTHL). And it’s easy to see why.

Flip through its pages, and you’ll find hundreds of designs for decorative blocks, keystones, relief panels, chimney pots, fireplace mantels, and more. There’s even a thirteen-page history of terra cotta at the front, tracing the story of “fired earth” from its ancient origins all the way to its use in New York City buildings starting in 1853.

Terra cotta is the largest material collection at NBAC. In addition to architectural artifacts, we also have unique artistic elements like this large vessel, which stands nearly 3 feet tall and was produced by the New York Architectural Terra Cotta Co. as a gift for important clients.

It’s beautifully complemented by our rare holdings of early trade literature. More than two dozen terra cotta trade catalogs from the NBAC collection are available on the BTHL—a wonderful resource for researchers, preservationists, and anyone curious about this remarkable material.

Explore the catalog at the link in our bio, or come see the collection in person! Our next available public tour is Saturday, April 11.

03/07/2026

Don't forget to spring forward this weekend! ⏰

While you're adjusting your clocks, we couldn't help but think of this gem from the NBAC collection: an automatic bell ringer invented by William P. Wannemacher. Before digital timekeeping, innovations like this one kept communities in sync, striking the hour automatically—no rope-pulling required.

But for Catholic churches, the bells did so much more than mark the time. They rang three times daily (at 6 am, noon, and 6 pm) to call the faithful to the Angelus prayer, and again before masses, weddings, and funerals. This bell was recovered from Most Holy Name of Jesus Church at 2047 E. Grand Boulevard after the parish closed in 1992, and it's now part of the NBAC collection.

The bell ringer patent sketches, US2719968A, reveal the ingenuity behind what looks like a simple mechanism—a beautifully solved problem, keeping sacred time for all to hear.

03/06/2026

After a long winter, it's time to get outside. 🌿

On Saturday, March 14 at 11 am, we're kicking off our first outdoor tour of the season! Most of NBAC's collection lives outside, spread across our campus—architectural fragments, ornamental stonework, and salvaged pieces representing centuries of American craftsmanship—and now is the perfect time to experience it all up close. The tour will also include a stop in our research library, where the history behind the collection runs deep.

Whether you're a longtime friend of NBAC or discovering us for the first time, this is a chance to explore the built environment the way it deserves to be explored—outside, in person, as the season comes back to life.

Registration is required, and space is limited. Link in comments to reserve your spot.

StLouis

03/04/2026

Our fall photowalk was a big success—so we're doing it again. 📸

On Saturday, April 25, come join us for a sunrise photowalk through NBAC's collections. As the light begins to rise, you'll wander through one of the region's most remarkable archives of architectural history, discovering the textures, shadows, and quiet details that most visitors never see. Curious what past participants captured? Search for a peek at the magic.

Whether you're a seasoned photographer or simply someone who loves to slow down and look closely at the world, this is a morning for you to see the built environment in a whole new way.

Spots are limited, and we'd love to have you. Apply at the link in the comments. 🌅

02/28/2026

Every great day at NBAC starts with our great volunteers. ❤️

As we gear up for our exhibit celebrating the centennial of Route 66, we treated our crew of incredible volunteers to a day immersed in the history and culture of the Mother Road.

We headed north to the proud Route 66 community of Litchfield, Illinois for lunch at the legendary Ariston Café. Established in 1924 and relocated to Route 66 in 1935 (less than 10 years after the highway opened), the Ariston is one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants along the highway—a living artifact of roadside America.

Then, we continued the afternoon at the Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center, exploring the stories, objects, and nostalgia that define this iconic corridor. With its neon signs, diners, motor courts, industry, and the architecture of mobility, the design language of Route 66 is a vital chapter in America’s built environment.

This volunteer appreciation day wasn’t just a thank-you—it was a preview. Route 66 shaped communities, commerce, and craftsmanship across the country, and we’re excited to explore that legacy more deeply in our upcoming exhibition, scheduled for late 2026.

Stay tuned—the Mother Road is coming to NBAC. 🛣️✨

02/24/2026

The intricate carving on this preserved panel hints at the lavish appearance of St. Louis’s former West End Hotel.

Built between the fashionable residential districts of the Central West End and Midtown, in what was later known as Grand Center, the hotel was located at 3900 West Belle Place and welcomed both overnight guests and long-term residents. By 1930, it had become one of the most luxurious Black-owned hotels in the nation and was listed in Black traveler guides through at least 1963.

In 1943, the hotel’s expansive ground-floor restaurant became the West End Waiters Club, a vibrant nightlife destination for Black St. Louisans. With dining and live music, the club hosted legendary performers including Billie Holiday, Buggs Roberts, and Chick Finney.

The West End Hotel operated until 1969. Vacant for several years, it was demolished in 1972 as part of an urban renewal project. Today, fragments like this carved panel in the NBAC collection preserve the artistry—and the layered cultural history—of a building that once stood at the heart of Black St. Louis life.

Artifact photography by Virginia Harold.

02/21/2026

In 2023, NBAC was honored to receive a remarkable donation from St. Louis artist Kristin Cassidy: a selection of artifacts and fragments collected from the banks of the Mississippi River. These objects are preserved at what could have been the very end of their life cycle, transformed by time and water.

Kristin spent years mudlarking, sifting river mud and shoreline debris to uncover pieces of St. Louis’s material past. Over decades, these once-everyday items—glass, metal, ceramics, and more—were worn, broken, and carried by the river until they became silent witnesses to the city’s evolving relationship with its great waterway.

This collection captures that moment where an object becomes history, offering a tangible connection to lives long washed away. Each fragment tells a story of use, loss, and rediscovery, bringing us closer to the deep currents of place and memory that flow through St. Louis.

02/19/2026

This 1912 catalog from the C. W. Raymond Co. offers an extensive look at the brick, terra cotta block, and roofing tile designs available to makers across the United States.

While published in 1912, many of these patterns trace back to the 1880s, appearing again and again in trade literature from multiple manufacturers. The detailed plates function almost like a monograph of decorative brickwork, showcasing the rich variety of forms that shaped American streetscapes.

In the NBAC collection, you’ll find many of these very designs represented in clay—a tangible connection between printed trade catalogs and the buildings that still stand (or once stood) across the country. For a closer look at the bricks themselves, plan a visit, or check out the catalog at the link in the comments.

02/14/2026

Love is in the details—and sometimes, in the display cases. 🍬❤️

This Valentine’s Day, we’re swooning over these original furniture pieces from the beloved Mavrakos Candy store, located at 4949 Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis. This location, built in 1927, was one of many St. Louis Mavrakos Candy retail locations, all known for handcrafted chocolates and old-world recipes, drawing customers who returned year after year for holidays, gifts, and everyday treats.

The store’s counters and display cases were the backdrop for countless moments of sweetness, from Valentine boxes to family traditions. Preserved by NBAC after the building’s demolition in 1983, these pieces carry the story of a neighborhood business where craftsmanship, care, and community were always part of the recipe.

Happy Valentine’s Day from NBAC 💕

02/11/2026

Before “set it and forget it,” there was the pyrometer. 🔥

Invented to measure extremely high temperatures, pyrometers became essential tools in ceramics and steel manufacturing in the early 20th century. Unlike earlier instruments that required workers to stand dangerously close to roaring kilns and furnaces, pyrometers could transmit heat readings hundreds of feet away—allowing temperatures to be monitored from a desk.

Pyrometers like this one (which was manufactured by Taylor Instrument Companies in 1905) helped manufacturers fine-tune firing conditions, producing more consistent, reliable materials like roofing tiles and bricks. But they also changed the workplace, deepening the divide between laborers working in intense heat and supervisors overseeing the process from a safer distance.

Technology doesn’t just shape objects. It reshapes how work gets done.

02/08/2026

On February 8, we celebrate the founding anniversary of the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation—the beginning of what would become the National Building Arts Center. 🧱

Founded by Larry Giles, NBAC was never meant to be just about architecture or just about St. Louis. While many pieces were recovered locally, the collection reflects a broader American story, with significant materials from cities like Chicago and New York. Larry’s vision was to preserve entire building systems—terra cotta, cast iron, stone—as an archive of our built environment.

In 2002, Larry formally incorporated the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation to advance a long-held idea: a museum of American building arts. In 2005, the project found its home at the former Sterling Steel Casting Company foundry in Sauget, Illinois. Larry donated his entire collection and library, and the site became the National Building Arts Center.

Larry passed away in 2021, but his vision lives on. Today, we honor the foundation he built and continue the work of preserving the building arts, locally and nationally.

Address

2300 Falling Springs Road
Sauget, IL
62206

Telephone

+13149225500

Website

http://nationalbuildingarts.org/

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