A unique Doylestown Treasure!
Built between 1911-1912 by Dr. Henry Mercer. The Tileworks is a history museum located in Doylestown, PA. The museum is one of three poured-in-place concrete structures built by Mercer. Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930) lived in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, his entire life but also travelled extensively to Europe. It was there that he became interested in tile work that he saw. We can thank him for this Doylestown treasure!.
Handmade tiles are still produced in a manner similar to that developed by Mercer. Tile designs are reissues of original designs. Mercer was a major proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement in America. He directed the work at the pottery from 1898 until his death in 1930.
Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930) built the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works to “master the potter’s art and establish pottery under personal control.” The success of the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works rested on Mercer’s pure genius. With a small capital investment, relatively inexpensive operating costs, and an ability to produce a range of wares that made the best use of biotechnology, the pottery produced unique tiles that were praised by critics and sought after by architects.
The honest, hand-made quality of his work fully expressed the ideals of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, elevating Mercer to one of the movement’s most important proponents. His tiles were emblematic of the survival, or rebirth, of the handcraft tradition. By the turn of the century, he was recognized as a premiere maker of “artistic” tiles. For the next thirty years, his work was sought out by leading architects and tastemakers to decorate public and private buildings all across the country. Mercer’s pioneering influence was far-reaching and still affects many tilemakers today.
The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works offers workshops and an apprenticeship program to teach the art of handcrafting ceramic tiles and mosaics.
Numerous cultural events take place on the Tile Works grounds throughout the year and the Tile Works complex is always a welcome sight for travelers in Doylestown along Swamp Road (Rt. 313).
Related: https://www.thetileworks.org
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