Fonthill, also known as Fonthill Castle, was the home of the American archeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Built between 1908 and 1912, it is an early example of poured-in-place concrete and features 44 rooms, over 200 windows, 18 fireplaces, 10 bathrooms and one powder room. The home was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
History
Fonthill Castle - Fonthill Museum, the former home and castle of Henry Chapman Mercer in Doylestown, PA.
Fonthill was the home of the archeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer. Built between 1908 and 1912, it is an early example of poured-in-place concrete and features 44 rooms, over 200 windows, 18 fireplaces, 10 bathrooms and one powder room. The interior was originally painted in pastel colors, but age and sunlight have all but eradicated any hint of the former hues. One room in the Terrace Pavilion (built on the site of the former home's barn), has a restored paint job so visitors can view the home's former glory. The castle-home contains much built-in furniture and is embellished with decorative tiles that Mercer made at the height of the Arts and Crafts movement. It is filled with an extensive collection of ceramics embedded in the concrete of the house, as well as other artifacts from his world travels, including cuneiform tablets discovered in Mesopotamia dating back to over 2300 BCE. The home also contains around 1,000 prints from Mercer's extensive collection, as well as over six thousand books, almost all of which were annotated by Mercer himself.
The home was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and was later included in a National Historic Landmark District along with the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works and the Mercer Museum. These three structures are the only poured-in-place concrete structures built by Mercer. The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works is located on the same property as Fontill, and the Mercer Museum is located approximately one mile away. Water and pollution have caused damage to all of the structures, none more so than at Fonthill, where replacement of damaged windowsills is almost an annual event.
Popular culture
The house is featured (by name and description) in Lewis Shiner's 1990 novel Slam, although in the book it has been relocated to Galveston, Texas.
On the Viva La Bam Seasons 2 & 3 DVD, it is revealed that Bam Margera shot the video for "And Love Said No" by HIM at Fonthill Castle. In 2007, Margera filmed parts of Minghags at the Fonthill Castle.
See also
- Fonthill Abbey â€" a demolished house in England
References
External links
- Official website
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-1140, "Fonthill, East Court Street, State Route 313 vicinity, Doylestown, Bucks County, PA", 24 photos, 5 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
- HABS No. PA-1140-A, "Fonthill, Garage", 2 photos, 1 photo caption page
- HABS No. PA-1140-B, "Fonthill, Farmhouse", 1 photo, 1 photo caption page
- HABS No. PA-6670, "Mercer House Tiles, Doylestown, Bucks County, PA", 1 photo, 1 photo caption page
