A unique Doylestown Treasure!
Built in 1904 by Dr. Henry Mercer. Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930) lived in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, his entire life. Henry Mercer had the opportunity to travel to Europe being that he had the means to travel during his adulthood. He fell in love with the architecture he saw and desired to recreate that in his hometown. We can thank him for this Doylestown treasure!.
He was an avid collector and researcher of pre-Industrial Revolution artifacts as part of his archeological profession. The museum provided Henry the perfect vehicle to preserve the tools and objects that people used during the late 1800’s. As an archeologist, he wanted a way to preserve and showcase these time-honored crafts. The Mercer Museum demonstrated his admiration for the buildings he saw in Europe. The museum is one of three poured-in-place concrete structures built by Mercer. The other Mercer buildings include his home Fonthill and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, both of which are located one mile from the museum.
Mercer decided to build his new museum with concrete which was just gaining acceptance as a building material. He was convinced about protecting his collection after the Great Boston Fire of 1872 had destroyed his aunt’s prized collection of medieval armor, which had been stored in wooden structures. He did not want his own collections to suffer the same fate.
The Mercer Museum features both local and national seasonal exhibits as well as a core museum collection of over 50,000 pre-industrial tools, offering visitors a unique window into pre-Industrial America through sixty different crafts and trades.
Today, this Doylestown Treasure serves as the focal point of the Doylestown Cultural District. It’s importance to Doylestown’s cultural legacy is a testament to the contribution that Henry Mercer has made to Doylestown. His vision and his museum draw visitors nationally.
The museum stages numerous cultural events throughout the year and is a point of pride for everyone in Doylestown and Bucks County.
In addition to the incredible collection housed in the Mercer Museum, parents and children have enjoyed sledding on the hill that starts on the Ashland Ave. side. It’s a nice steep hill with a strategic “bump” halfway down which sends small kids and grownups flying off of their sleds.
Related: Mercer Museum Website Link
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