FONTHILL

 Now for something different.

One of my favorite places when I lived in Doylestown to escape and walk, to contemplate, was a place I have featured before, Fonthill Castle. I used to walk there many times each season. It always enthralled me. To describe this European castle as a gingerbread castle of an enchanted prince is probably not far from the truth.  These pictures I took when there back in September. The builder was Henry Chapman Mercer, a handsome and interesting man.

The Chapmans and the Mercers were both prosperous and prominent in the area. Mercer himself, an archeologists, author and collector, and single all his life though he had a relationship with a debutant who would stay with him somewhat regularly, and there were also rumors of men he may have also been involved. He was very private, eccentric and an avid dog lover and lover of all creatures. Before his death he destroyed files, dairies and other things that may have given us more background on him. Fonthill, just one of his masterpieces was built between 1908 and 1912, by just himself and 8 to 10 tradesmen who knew nothing about concrete to help him build the castle. The castle itself is a fantastic object, but I wouldn't classify it as a work of architecture partly because there was no architect really. Mercer himself designed the thing, as he did with the nearby Mercer Museum, and the Moravian Tile Works. Mercer himself designed the castle, one room at a time, molding each of the rooms from blocks of clay, which he then stacked in a pile with little regard to interior traffic patterns or exterior appearance. Fortunately, the result is fantastic, considering it's mostly reinforced poured concrete, not the warmest of building material, yet the place is charming and stunning and undeniably appealing. 

On the same grounds is the Moravian Tile Works for which Mercer is so famous for. They are pretty unique tiles and are currently on display all over the PA State Capitol Building, the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Casino in Monte Carlo and many others overseas. His museum also located in Doylestown, is a huge structure, and houses one of the largest collections of pre-industrial American items.  The tile works is a pretty cool place to walk too.