Henry Chapman Mercer: A Legacy Built in Concrete 

Located in Doylestown, Bucks County, PA, the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle are two historic castles that celebrate the life and legacy of Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930), American archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramicist and scholar.  In this hour-long virtual multimedia program featuring film clips, historic archives and modern-day images, Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle educators bring the stories of Henry Mercer and his concrete castles to life for a new generation of history lovers. 

The Mercer Museum, one of Bucks County’s premier cultural attractions and a Smithsonian affiliate, features both local and national seasonal exhibits as well as a core museum collection of over 50,000 pre-Industrial tools.  This permanent collection offers visitors a unique window into pre-Industrial America and is one of the world’s most comprehensive portraits of American material culture. Fonthill Castle was home to Henry Chapman Mercer and served as a showplace for his collection of tiles and prints.  Fonthill Castle features Mercer’s renowned, handcrafted ceramic tiles designed at the height of the Arts and Crafts movement.

About the presenter:  Olivia Brown is the Community Programs Coordinator at the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  She has worked in community programs and education with the Bucks County Historical Society since 2018.  She earned a Bachelor’s Degree is American Studies and History from the University of Virginia in 2015, and a Master’s Degree in Public History from the University of South Carolina in 2018.  She has a passion for bringing history alive for museum guests, in-person and virtually.

This presentation will be held online via Zoom.  Register and receive program link by entering your information below.  Any questions? Contact DeAnne O'Brien at dobrien@ivpl.org.