Entry No. 92 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: art-nouveau
Van Briggle Memorial Pottery Building
Most people drive past this 1907 building near Monument Valley Park without realizing they're looking at one of the great Art Nouveau tile works in America. Artus Van Briggle was a brilliant young potter who died of TB at 35; his widow Anne built this as a working pottery and a memorial to him, sheathing the walls in more than 5,000 of her own glazed tiles and crowning it with two massive bottle-shaped kiln chimneys covered in terra-cotta flowers. Today it quietly houses Colorado College's facilities department — a gorgeous, half-secret monument to grief hiding in plain sight.
The story
Artus Van Briggle arrived in Colorado Springs in 1899 carrying tuberculosis, a European arts education, and an obsession with rediscovering ancient Chinese matte glazes. Within two years, he perfected his signature dead-matte finish and drew international acclaim, winning awards at the Paris Salon. When he died in 1904 at age 35, his artist wife, Anne, didn't pack up. Instead, she partnered with city founder General William Jackson Palmer to build a permanent production facility that doubled as a gargantuan monument to her late husband. Designed by Dutch architect Nicolaas van den Arend and opened in 1908, the structure was engineered specifically to display the ceramic art produced inside.
Look closely at the walls and you'll realize Anne didn't just oversee construction—she sheathed the exterior in over 5,000 custom-glazed tiles and floral terra-cotta ornaments, embedding their conjoined-AA logo (interlocking initials for Artus and Anne) directly into the facade. Overhead, two massive bottle-shaped brick kilns rise above the roofline like industrial chimneys, wrapped in glazed terra-cotta blossoms. The pottery company relocated decades ago, and Colorado College purchased the site in 1968. Today, it quietly houses the college's Facilities Services department—meaning lawnmowers and plumbing supplies now circulate through a museum-grade shrine to Arts and Crafts grief.
What it's like
Park along Glen Avenue or walk over from adjacent Monument Valley Park straight to the edge of the lot. Because this is a working administrative office for Colorado College maintenance staff, your main objective is the exterior—do not wander inside or obstruct groundskeepers carrying equipment. Circle the building perimeter slowly: inspect the double-A logo tiles set into the brickwork, spot the gargoyles and floral terra-cotta relief panels, and look up at the two towering bottle kilns on the roof. If you want to see the interior tile fireplaces and former salesroom, you will need to time your visit for the annual fall Historic Van Briggle Pottery Festival hosted by the Women's Educational Society; otherwise, treat it as a free, 24/7 architectural outdoor gallery hiding in plain view.
The move: Stroll over from Monument Valley Park and circle the building slowly — hunt the conjoined-AA logo tiles, the floral terra-cotta, and the two great bottle kilns — then read each other the story of the widow who built it. Time it for the fall festival if you want to get inside.
📍 Before you go It's a working Colorado College office building — the draw is the exterior, free and anytime. Inside is open to the public only during the fall festival; don't disturb staff otherwise.
- 📍 Westside / Monument Valley Park
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 1125 Glen Ave (SE of W Uintah St & Glen Ave, by Monument Valley Park), Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Hours: Exterior viewable anytime (now CC offices). Interior tours only during the annual fall Historic Van Briggle Pottery Festival.
Pair it with
- Iscariot (Octo-Maid) — Pair a turn-of-the-century ceramic memorial with a modern 12-foot metal octopus-mermaid sculpture sitting atop a downtown traffic control center just over a mile away.
- Novis Mortem Collective (classes by The Terrorium Shop) — Follow up an outdoor monument born from early-1900s grief with a hands-on taxidermy and oddities workshop a mile south on Tejon Street.
- Shrunken Head Tiki Bar — After scrutinizing century-old matte tiles and bottle kilns, head downtown to duck into an underground tiki bar hidden behind an unmarked door.
- Pikes Peak Phantom Ghost Tour — Combine the architectural remnants of a lost potter's workshop with an after-dark walking tour exploring downtown's reputedly haunted historic sites.
Good to know
Can I tour the inside of the Van Briggle Memorial Pottery Building?
Not on a typical day. It serves as active office space for Colorado College's Facilities Services department. Public interior access is restricted to annual fall tours held during the Historic Van Briggle Pottery Festival.
Where exactly is the building located?
It sits at 1125 Glen Avenue (southeast of West Uintah Street and Glen Avenue), directly bordering Monument Valley Park and just west of the main Colorado College campus.
Is there a fee to view the building exterior?
No. Walking around the grounds to view the tiles, kilns, and architectural details from the exterior sidewalks and parking lot is entirely free and accessible anytime.
What does the conjoined 'AA' symbol on the tiles stand for?
It is the official Van Briggle Pottery mark, combining the initial letters of founders Artus and Anne Van Briggle into an interlocking monogram.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: coloradocollege.edu · Wikipedia · coloradoencyclopedia.org
last checked: 2026-06-27