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Finished to Mercer’s exact specifications in 1912, Fonthill remains an ornate, architecturally unclassifiable mansion constructed entirely out of poured concrete. The house is featured (by name and description) in Lewis Shiner's 1990 novel Slam, although in the book it has been relocated to Galveston, Texas. Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult (18 years or older). Teenagers may visit without an adult but are not permitted to supervise children 12 and younger. You can bring a print-out of your ticket or a digital confirmation on your mobile phone as proof of purchase. You can bring a print-out of your ticket or your mobile phone confirmation as proof of purchase.
Price History for 28 Mercer Ave
All members and guests are encouraged to purchase online tickets prior to their visit. The museum features local and national traveling exhibits, as well as a core museum collection of over 17,000 pre-Industrial tools. DOYLESTOWN, PA — The beloved Mercer Museum Holiday Open House returns to the halls and narrow winding passageways of Henry Mercer's six-story concrete castle on Tuesday, Dec. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. Moving up the floors, I spent a bit of time looking into each of the small rooms. Nearly every industry that used hand-powered tools was represented in the museum. No matter what industries interest you, you’re sure to find at least a handful of rooms that are quite fascinating.
Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle Offering Virtual Programs - Patch
Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle Offering Virtual Programs.
Posted: Thu, 11 Mar 2021 08:00:00 GMT [source]
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In accordance with Mercer’s Will, Mrs. Swain resided in the house and conducted occasional tours until her death in 1975. It’s worth noting, that the historic nature of the castle prevents there from being heating and air conditioning in the building. While they have large fans that run in the summer, it can be very cold during the wintertime. I visited on a cold day in February and had to wear my coat, hat, and gloves during my entire visit. While the museum’s atrium contains most of the items in the Mercer Museum’s collection, I found the sixth and seventh floors to be even more interesting. Here, narrow rooms twist and turn, almost like a dusty attic in an ancient castle.
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Service animals are permitted at the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle in accordance with ADA guidelines. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide is directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. Guests for the Mercer Museum will enter via the Helen Gemmill Plaza entrance, adjacent to the museum’s parking lot located on Scout Way, between Green Street and Pine Street. With a focus on residents, families and team members, Merrill Gardens offers quality senior living from a family-owned company that knows connection is everything.
Mercer personally designed plans for a museum to house his collection, six stories tall and cast of poured-in-place concrete. The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works is located on the same property as Fonthill Castle, and the Mercer Museum is located about a mile away. The well-traveled town of Doylestown is home to the impressive belt of historical attractions comprised of Fonthill Museum, Mercer Museum and The Tileworks; also known as The Mercer Mile.
The museum is actually one of three poured-in-place concrete structures that Mercer built around Doylestown. While Fonthill Castle was built as his home, and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works was built for his workspace, the castle that became the Mercer Museum was built to showcase his collection of machinery. It is located on the outskirts of downtown Doylestown adjacent to the fantastic Michener Art Museum. Mercer’s distinctive tiles are handmade from clay using the skills he learned from a Pennsylvania-German master potter. Many tell stories from history and literature, and they are everywhere throughout the castle from stairs to fireplaces. The most distinguishing aspect of Fonthill is that it is made entirely of hand-poured, reinforced concrete.
But the storage building was made of wood, in the year 1872, the Great Boston Fire destroyed much of the city, and all of Mercer’s armor. Mercer decided to build with concrete after the Great Boston Fire of 1872 destroyed his aunt's prized collection of medieval armor, which had been stored in wooden structures. In June 2011, construction was completed on a new, extensive visitors center at the front of the museum. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mercer collected pre-industrial hand tools and other implements of the past. He believed that the story of human progress and accomplishments was told by the tools and objects that people used and saw these time-honored crafts slowly disappearing from memory.
Fonthill Castle's 'Little House in the Woods" opened in Doylestown, PA - Bucks County Courier Times
Fonthill Castle's 'Little House in the Woods" opened in Doylestown, PA.
Posted: Mon, 21 Nov 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]
“Fonthill,” Henry Chapman Mercer House
I can’t recall ever seeing such an extensive collection, and it was quite interesting to see the similarities and differences in these advertising icons. This makes the museum a great place for children, though, I found the children’s audio description of the gallows to be a bit strange. For adults though, the museum’s great signage did seem to make the audio guide a bit unnecessary. In addition to the castle, two other buildings complete what is known as the Mercer Mile. Among the most popular Doylestown attractions, the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works and the Mercer Museum are well worth a visit.
About Fonthill Castle
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Tucked away in a Doylestown neighborhood, the 44-room Fonthill Castle is one of the most unique architectural works in Pennsylvania. Thanks to its construction and detailed interior, the enormous building is as much a curiosity today as when it was built over 110 years ago. Do you have questions about finding otherreal estate for saleor rentin Doylestown? You can browse all Doylestown rentals orcontact a Coldwell Banker agent to request more information.
Fonthill Castle was the home of the archaeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer. Built between 1908 and 1912, it is an early example of poured-in-place concrete and features 44 rooms, over 200 windows, 18 fireplaces, 10 bathrooms and one powder room. The interior was originally painted in pastel colors, but age and sunlight have all but eradicated any hint of the former hues. One room in the Terrace Pavilion (built on the site of the former home's barn), has a restored paint job so visitors can view the home's former glory.
These tiles were made by Mercer at the nearby Moravian Tile Works, and represent some of America’s most sought-after tiles. Unfortunately, because of the small confines of these top two floors, it’s worth noting that there is no elevator access to these floors, and they are not able to accommodate those who can’t use stairs. On the first floor, I especially enjoyed looking at the variety of Cigar Store Indians that were on display.
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