Moravian Pottery and Tile Works facts for kids
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Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Doylestown, Pennsylvania |
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| Built | 1912 |
| Architect | Dr. Henry Chapman Mercer |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival |
| Part of | Fonthill, Mercer Museum, and Moravian Pottery and Tile Works (ID85002366) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001098 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 1, 1972 |
| Designated NHLDCP | February 4, 1985 |
The Moravian Pottery & Tile Works (MPTW) is a cool history museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The local government, the County of Bucks, owns it. A non-profit group called TileWorks of Bucks County helps run it.
This museum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This is a list of important places in American history. Later, it became part of a bigger historic area. This area also includes the Mercer Museum and Fonthill. These three buildings are special because they are the only ones made by Henry Chapman Mercer using a method called "cast-in-place concrete". This means the concrete was poured into molds right where the building was being made.
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Discovering the Moravian Tile Works
At the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, people still make tiles by hand. They use methods very much like those developed by the founder, Henry Chapman Mercer. The designs on the tiles are copies of his original artwork.
Mercer was a big supporter of the Arts and Crafts movement in America. This movement focused on making beautiful, handmade items and valuing skilled work. He led the pottery from 1898 until he passed away in 1930.
How Tiles Are Marked
When Henry Chapman Mercer was in charge, he usually did not put a special mark on the tiles. After he died, different marks were used to show that a tile came from the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works.
Today, the Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation runs the MPTW as a working museum. All tiles made there now have a special mark. This mark includes a design that looks like "MOR," the words "Bucks County," and the year the tile was made.
Making Tiles Today
The tiles made at the museum today are very similar to Mercer's originals. They use his first molds and local clay that is like the clay he used. The colors and finishes for the tiles also follow Mercer's old recipes. Some of these recipes have been updated to make sure they are safe and have less lead or heavy metals.
Mercer's Concrete Buildings
The Tile Works is one of three special concrete buildings that Mercer designed and built. The other two are:
- Fonthill: This was Mercer's home and is on the same property as the Tile Works.
- Mercer Museum: This museum is about a mile away and holds many of Mercer's collections.
The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works also offers fun workshops. Here, people can learn how to make ceramic tiles and mosaics by hand. They even have a program where people can learn to become tile-making experts!
