Henry Chapman Mercer was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania in 1856. He was an archeologist, artifact collector, and tile-maker. Mercer designed three early examples of reinforced concrete structures, one of those structures is Fonthill Castle. Fonthill Castle happened to be Mercer’s 44-room house that he once set ablaze to prove concrete’s resilience to flame.
Fonthill Castle is about 41 miles north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The castle is now open as a museum with tours and education about Mercer and his infamous castle.
Holiday Lights
We had the unique pleasure of booking a “Holiday Lights Meander Tour”. On this tour, we got to explore the castle at our own pace, take photos, and enjoy the eclectic nature of each room. You can buy tickets in advance by going to Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle.
The castle is decorated with Christmas trees and lights until December 31, 2022. They even do an evening tour where you can see the trees lit up in all their glory! Each tree has its own theme. Some of our favorite trees included their midnight black tree and their bird tree. Each tree also includes the German tradition of hiding a pickle ornament in the tree. Tradition says the first child to find the pickle ornament receives a small prize. The pickle ornament is supposed to represent the Christ child and how he was hidden from King Herod’s soldiers.
Objects from Mercer’s Travels
In each room of the castle, you will find fascinating objects. Some of these include built-in furniture, books from Mercer’s travels around the world, and even a skull on the mantle. Each room has its own personality even down to the staircase dedicated to his dog.
Each tile in the castle was either picked up on Mercer’s travels or was handmade by Mercer himself. Tiles vary from letters that spell out messages to tiles that are shaped like animals to intricate tiles with scenes painted on them. Almost everywhere you look you will find a different and interesting tile. Walls, floors, ceilings, pillars, and even archways are decorated with colorful tile.
Mercer also set up the Moravian Tile Works company where he was able to manufacture his tiles. The Bucks County Historical Society also operates the company as a demonstration to visitors. They produce tiles from Mercer’s own designs that they still sell today.
One of the things that drew us to visit the castle was the history of Mercer’s travels and the artifacts and tiles he picked up on those travels. Some of Mercer’s tiles tell stories from all over the world in beautiful depictions.
We won’t be decorating our homes in endless tiles, but we did thoroughly enjoy our adventure. We hope that one day you’ll be able to visit Fonthill Castle and fall in love with its eccentric magic just like we did.
Although it was quite rainy the day we visited, we still had an amazing time. Stuck in the rain in Fort Myers? Check out my guide for how to spend a rainy day in another incredible city!