Fonthill (house) facts for kids
|
Fonthill Castle
|
|
|
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
|
 |
|
 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Doylestown, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Built | 1908 |
| Architect | Dr. Henry C. Mercer |
| Architectural style | Mixed (more Than 2 Styles From Different Periods) |
| Part of | Fonthill Castle, Mercer Museum, and Moravian Pottery and Tile Works (ID85002366) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001094 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | June 1, 1972 |
| Designated NHLDCP | February 4, 1985 |
Fonthill Castle is a unique and amazing home located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It was once the home of a famous American archeologist and tile maker named Henry Chapman Mercer.
Contents
Discovering Fonthill Castle
Fonthill Castle was the special home of Henry Chapman Mercer. He was an archeologist, which means he studied old human history. He was also a talented tile maker.
Building Fonthill Castle
This incredible castle was built between 1908 and 1912. It's a very early example of a building made using "poured-in-place concrete." This means the concrete was poured into molds right there on the building site.
The castle is huge! It has 44 rooms, more than 200 windows, and 18 fireplaces. There are also 10 bathrooms and one powder room.
Inside the Castle
When it was first built, the inside of Fonthill Castle was painted in soft, light colors. Over time, the sunlight has faded these colors. However, one room has been restored to show how beautiful the original paint looked. This room is in the Terrace Pavilion, which was built where the old barn used to be.
The castle has furniture built right into its walls. It's also decorated with many beautiful tiles. Henry Mercer made these tiles himself. He made them during the time of the Arts and Crafts movement. This was a special time when people valued handmade items and traditional crafts.
Mercer's Amazing Collections
Fonthill Castle is like a giant treasure chest. It's filled with many interesting things that Henry Mercer collected. He embedded many ceramic pieces right into the concrete walls of the house.
He also collected artifacts from his travels around the world. These include ancient cuneiform tablets. These tablets are from Mesopotamia and are over 2,300 years old!
The castle also holds about 1,000 prints from Mercer's collection. Plus, there are over six thousand books! Henry Mercer wrote notes in almost all of them.
A Historic Landmark
Fonthill Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This means it's a very important historic site. Later, it became part of a special historic district. This district also includes the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works and the Mercer Museum.
These three buildings are unique because they were all built by Mercer using poured-in-place concrete. The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works is on the same property as Fonthill Castle. The Mercer Museum is about a mile away.
The Bucks County Historical Society manages Fonthill Castle and the Mercer Museum. The County of Bucks manages the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works.
Visiting Fonthill Castle
You can visit Fonthill Castle! It is open Tuesday through Sunday. You can take a guided tour that lasts about one hour.
Because the castle is very old, it has steep stairs and narrow, uneven paths. This means it might be hard for some people to get around.
You are allowed to take personal photos during your tour. If you want to take photos for commercial use, like for a wedding, you need to get a special permit.
Fun Community Programs
Fonthill Castle hosts many fun events throughout the year. These programs help people learn more about history. They also help raise money for the Bucks County Historical Society.
Past events have included special Winter Wonderland Tours and Candlelight Holiday Tours. They have also had "Shakespeare in the Park" and "Tower Tours for Families." Other exciting events include "Mercer's Night Tales" and "Escape Rooms."
See also
- Fonthill Abbey – a house in England that was torn down
