Borghese Castle

The Mistress wishes! No it is actually the Fonthill Castle here in Doylestown. It's been a while since I did a local spot on attractions so I thought what the hey. Doylestown is right up the road by minutes from our abode. It is alot like New Hope, that it has many wonderful eateries, pubs, nice jazz lounges, locally owned boutiques, plus art and antique galleries. And a old time movie theater.



There is definitely alot to do and see in Doylestown or just stroll the streets. When it's nice weather the Boy-Toy and I often take walks through the town and look at the beautiful homes, most which date back to the late 1800's. In the center of town is the hotel with a Starbucks below it.



And just north by a couple of minutes from town is the Pearl Buck House. Home of the famous Nobel Prize winning author, Pearl Buck. The Mistress has done Christmas decorating installations there before for some of the rooms.



Some of the most famous attractions though are the Mercer properties. Henry Mercer was probably the most famous citizen with the exception of the singer Pink. Henry Mercer was born in Doylestown in 1856 and was well known for his research and books about ancient tool making, his stunning ceramic tile creations, and his engineering and architecture. He has many buildings he designed in Doylestown, to many to mention, but also designed the entire floor of the opulent Pennsylvania State Capital, the Royal Casino of Monte Carlo, Rockefeller's New York Estate in Pocantico Hills, and parts of the Grarman's Chinese Theater. On the way home the Mistress drives pass two of three of the Mercer Buildings he designed which inspired this post.



This is the Fonthill castle Henry Mercer built for his family. Can't you just see the Mistress waving to the masses from inside it? The interior is stunning and contains many European furnishings and tapestries.




The building above is the huge Mercer Museum. The museum comprises nearly 40,000 objects, and is renowned for it's collections of tools and artifacts Henry Mercer collected associated with pre-industrial trades, crafts, agriculture and domestic work.



And the last but not least is the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works. The building was also designed by Henry Mercer. The tile works is a working history museum producing tiles and mosaics in a manner similar to that of Henry Mercer himself. Here crafters take that extra step to create some of the worlds most beautiful tiles and mosaics. And here is a photo of the tile work Mercer is famous for creating! Just beautiful.



Well,there you have it. I wonder if the Boy-Toy is getting me the castle for Valentine's Day? Complete with knights!