Event Details

IPTW 2011 Pre-Conference Tour 2

  • August 03, 2011
  • 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • 0

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IPTW 2011: Pre-Conference Tour 2 - The Legacy of Henry Chapman Mercer
Lancaster, Pennsylvania - August 3, 2011

Fonthill was the home of the American 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 and 10 bathrooms. It contains many examples of built-in furniture and is embellished with decorative tiles that Mercer made at the height of the Arts and Crafts movement.

The Moravian Pottery & Tile Works is a working history museum maintained by the Bucks County, Department of Parks and Recreation. The pottery's founder and builder, Henry Chapman 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. 

The six storey tall, cast-in-place, reinforced concrete Mercer Museum was built in 1916 to house Henry Mercer's extensive collection of objects representing everyday life in the pre-industrial age, the museum's permanent exhibits remain dedicated to this purpose, displaying more than 40,000 tools and artifacts in the Museum's original core. Over 60 early American trades are represented, including woodworking, metalworking, agriculture, and advertising, plus furnishings and folk art.