Mercer Mile (7/22/2021)

Thursday, July 22, 2021

The Mercer Mile in Doylestown, PA includes three concrete buildings of Henry Chapman Mercer who was an archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramist, scholar and antiquarian. The Moravian Pottery & Tile Works building (1912) is a cast-in-place concrete structure that continues to produce handmade tiles in the same manner as developed by its founder, Henry Mercer. We did not tour the pottery works, but did tour Fonthill Castle, his residence and showcase for the tiles he produced, as well as collected.

Fonthill Castle (1908-1912, by Henry Chapman Mercer)
is also a poured-in-place concrete structure
built around a stone farmhouse

The library is one of 44 rooms in the house, which
also has 5 bedrooms, 18 fireplaces, and 10 bathrooms

The floor tiles are similar to those they made
for the floor of the Pennsylvania State Capitol

Mercer also produced "story tiles" and here the story
of Christopher Columbus is depicted (KSS)

"Columbus meets an Indian" (KSS)

The arches and honeycomb patterns in the tiles were
inspired by hearth plates collected by Mercer (KSS)

Mercer collected cuneiform tiles and had
them embedded in the columns of the "Saloon"

These cuneiform tiles were from the
Kingdom of Chaldees in the Middle East

Early Delft tiles from the area of Holland

The interior walls were once all painted,
here we see some blue, gold, and red

Much of the built-in furniture was made
of concrete, just the drawers here were wood

A guest room that also displays some of 
Mercer's collection of prints

Every bedroom had a full bathroom

In the Garret, a storage area, someone left
"handprints" on the ceiling

The Columbus Room ceiling is full
of decorative tiles

The concrete columns show the patterns
of the wood boards of the "mold"

Mercer's favorite dog, Rollo, had his
footprints impressed in the concrete steps (KSS)

View up at the tower terrace where
Mercer made a bonfire on his birthday;
neighbors called the fire department but
there was no danger of the concrete
structure burning down

Shapely chimneys and a weather vane

View down at the Springhouse

A collection of Chinese roof tiles

Sketch by Mercer at age 21

Spanish tiles in the Conservatory

Finally, the third cast-in-concrete building is the Mercer Museum (1904-1916), where more than 60 Early American trades are represented. It was purpose-built to house the Mercer collection of pre-Industrial Age tools and artifacts.

Vampire Killing Kit (date unknown)

The New England whale boat (1840s to 1860s)
may be the largest item in the museum

Antique Horse-drawn Fire Engine; note how objects
are hanging in the 6-story atrium

The items of the trades are housed
in separate "shops"

Sixth floor terrace view of former dovecotes

Column Stove (c 1846) (KSS)

Here, too, are Rollo's Stairs

The cabinets are made of concrete

Furniture is hung on the Atrium ceiling
so that you have a different perspective

Clocks and watchmaking

Musical instruments

Lighting

Healing

The Mercer Museum