Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Historical Society

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Historical Society

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Art, Culture, General, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Library

Built between 1908-1912, Fonthill was the home of Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930). Archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramist, scholar and antiquarian, Mercer built Fonthill both as his home and as a showplace for his collection of tiles and prints. The first of three Mercer buildings in Doylestown, Fonthill served as a showplace for Mercer's famed Moravian tiles that were produced during the American Arts & Crafts Movement. Designed by Mercer, the building is an eclectic mix of Medieval, Gothic, and Byzantine architectural styles, and is significant as an early example of poured reinforced concrete.

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Art

Perkasie, Pennsylvania

History

Warrington, Pennsylvania

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

History, Historic House, Specialized

As gifts to the Bucks County Historical Society, the collection and building were maintained by the trustees without benefit of professional staff until 1971. With a resurgence of interest in early American crafts, an ambitious program to develop and promote the Mercer Museum as an institution of national significance was then undertaken. The Museum has made major advances in collections management and care, exhibitions and interpretation bringing the Museum in line with contemporary standards while, at the same time, respecting the historical integrity of the site. In 1985, the Mercer Museum was recognized as a National Historic Landmark and achieved subsequent accreditation by the American Association of Museums in 2005.

Hartsville, Pennsylvania

Archaeology, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Library, Park

Many Philadelphians sought to emulate the English country estate tradition by constructing brick and stone formal houses in the countryside. Attorney John Moland had one such house on a plantation in the Northern Liberties, just above the current center city. In 1741 he purchased undeveloped land in Warwick Township along the Little Neshaminy Creek and adjacent to the York Road connecting bustling Philadelphia with the smaller New York City. A two-story home was built circa 1750 using fieldstone quarried from further up Kerr's, also known as Carr's, Hill. A vernacular kitchen with a loft was attached to these formal quarters.