Fonthill Castle
Fonthill Castle, operated by the Bucks County Historical Society (BCHS), is pleased to announce that it has received a grant through the Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program to comprehensively survey, assess and evaluate the condition of the stucco finishes and patches on the exterior wall surfaces and cornices of the National Landmark site.
The project, funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program with matching funds provided by the Rapaport Family Charitable Trust, is intended to explore the state of the original stucco on the exterior of Fonthill Castle, as well as stucco that was applied as part of patching efforts after the castle’s construction.
“Fonthill Castle is a prominent and much loved landmark in Doylestown and Central Bucks County,” says Cory Amsler, Vice President of Collections & Interpretation at the Bucks County Historical Society. “As custodians for the artistic and architectural legacy of Henry Mercer, we wish to ensure Fonthill Castle’s long-term preservation, and its aesthetic appearance as Mercer intended. This project is another step toward that goal.”
The project will comprehensively assess the condition of the finishes on all of the building's vertical surfaces, as well as the condition of its cornices. This project will also provide an opportunity to evaluate the performance of previous patches and repairs to the castle’s walls and cornices. All of this work is being conducted by architectural conservators from Heritage Conservation Collective, based in Philadelphia.
Following the survey, and based on laboratory analysis of stucco samples and on conservators' treatment recommendations, two test patches or restorations will be formulated and applied, and subsequently evaluated for appearance and performance. These test restorations willprovide the basis for future large scale work on Fonthill Castle’s exterior walls, which also may include stabilization, rather than replacement, of existing stucco finishes.
Much of the assessment work is scheduled to take place during the entire month of February, with conservators accessing the building’s heights by use of a large hydraulic lift while the castle is open to visitors. The week of Tuesday, February 27 – Friday, March 1, 2024, Fonthill Castle will be closed to the public to allow the lift access to areas of the building directly above the main visitor entrance.
Fonthill Castle was the home of Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930), a Doylestown-born archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramist, scholar, and antiquarian. Mercer built Fonthill Castle both as his home and as a showplace to display his collection of tiles and prints, assembled over the course of his life. The creative, idiosyncratic building is an eclectic mix of Medieval, Gothic, and Byzantine architectural styles, and is significant as an early artistic example of poured reinforced concrete. Mercer began building Fonthill Castle in 1908 and moved into the house in 1912. He resided there until his death in 1930. The house is heavily tile embellished and its interior deliberately decorated in keeping with Aesthetic Period, Colonial Revival, and Arts & Crafts Era sensibilities.
This project is supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s Keystone Historic Preservation Grant, a program funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with matching funds provided by the Rapaport Family Charitable Trust.