Fonthill and the Tile Works

December 18, 2022
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Located in Doylestown, PA, the Mercer Museum, Research Library and Fonthill Castle are owned and operated by the Bucks County Historical Society.  The Museum was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The Fonthill Castle and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works are listed in the Register as well.

The structures on the grounds are concrete, built to the specifications of Henry Mercer. He wanted to make his estate, which would house his collections of artifacts, fireproof. He succeeded.  The mansion was built between  1908 and 1912; the Museum was finally completed in 1916.  

Mercer was a gentleman philanthropist who collected artifacts from all over the world and brought them back to the US. The Museum houses a wide variety of the artifacts that Mercer collected. The Tiles that decorate the house, including the ceilings, were designed by Mercer. 

We went and visited the Museum, Tile Works and Mansion over the weekend. It was pretty cold, wintry and dark. The darkness was more pronounced in some parts of the mansion and Tile Works. But my trusty Leica Q2 was up to the low light task. Some photos form the visit are below. 

JFB

A photo of the Tile Works factory exterior on the grounds of the Fonthill Mansion
Doylestown, PA, USA — December 16, 2022. A wide angle photo of the Foothill Mansion in Doylestown, PA on a cold wintry day.
Doylestown, PA, USA — December 16, 2022. A wide angle photo looking down over a fireplace and seating area for visitors to the Fonthill Mansion in Doylestown, PA.
Doylestown, PA, USA — December 16, 2022. Low light photo over a study and through the windows to the outside of the Fontill Mansion in Doylestown PA.
Photo of an old-fashioned doorway in a castle.
Doylestown, PA, USA–December 16, 2022. Photo of tiles that decorate the ceilings and make decorative boreders at the Fonthill Mansion.