Winter-Spring 2015 Newsletter of the Bucks County Historical Society Vol. 29 Number 1

IN THIS ISSUE:• UPCOMING EXHIBIT AT THE MERCER • COCKTAILS AT THE CASTLES • SAVE THE DATE: MERCER LEGACY SWEEPSTAKES • FONTHILL MANTLE ORIGINAL APPEARANCE• COLLECTIONS GRANTS • BCHS NEW STRATEGIC PLAN• AND MORE!

Events at the Mercer Museum

ON THE COVER: Columbus Room Ceiling photo by Nic Barlow.

The Back Bench Boys performed.

Linda N. Salley and quilt.

For All the World to See Exhibit Sponsors: Left to Right: Angelina Hatchoose, Yvette E. Taylor-Hachoose, Louise & Brian McLeod, Melissa V. Bond, Tom Thomas and the HonorableClyde W.Waite & Verna Hutchinson.

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For All the World to See Members’ Preview Reception September 5, 2014

Cocktails at the Castle October 10, 2014

Mercer Museum in lights.

Mercer Museum Executive Director, Doug Dolan, with longtime

friends and supporters, Nancy and Roy Kolb.

S & B Event Concepts and Catering

Guests dining and exploring Central Court

Nigeria Ambassador of Art, Ibiyinka Alao with Cocktails Ed Jarrett and Doris Carr.

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What Makes a House a Home?

TEN MEN BUILDING A WOOD FRAME HOUSE,William Henry Jackson, photographer. Omaha Reservation, Nebraska, 1877.

Courtesy The National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Throughout American history,people have lived in all sorts

of places, from military barracks and two story colonials, to collegedormitories and row-houses. FromJanuary 24 through March 15, 2015,the Mercer Museum is hosting thenationally touring traveling exhibitHouse & Home. Drawn from theflagship installation at The NationalBuilding Museum in Washington,DC, the exhibit embarks on a tour ofhouses both familiar and surprising,through past and present, to explorethe varied history, and many culturalmeanings of the American home.

House & Home encouragesvisitors to explore how our ideal of the perfect house and ourexperience of what it means to “be at home” have changed overtime. The exhibit includes domesticfurnishings and home constructionmaterials, photographs, “pleasetouch” interactive components, and films. Together, the objects and images illustrate howtransformations in technology,government policy, and consumerculture have impacted Americandomestic life.

The exhibit also presents anoverview of architecture styles andliving patterns that have beenfeatured in American homes overthe years. Quotes, toys, and othergraphic advertising materials

prompt visitors to think about thedifferent ideas embodied in thewords “house” and “home.” House& Home also showcases domesticobjects—from cooking utensils to telephones—and traces howhousehold goods tell the stories ofour family traditions, heritage, andthe activity of daily living.

Another key section explores howdifferent laws, historic trends, andeconomic factors have impactedhousing in America. The AmericanDream, once more generally seen asan aspiration to prosperity, grew in the20th century to be synonymous withhome ownership. Visitors learn aboutthe economy of housing and howhomes have been promoted and sold.Issues of housing inequality, landdistribution, and the role of thegovernment are examined, from the Colonial period though theHomestead Act and the creation ofthe Federal Housing Administrationin the 1930s; and from the OklahomaLand Rush to the subprime loancrisis. Related sections of House &Home looks outward, exploring therelationship of the individual house tothe larger society by presentingexamples of contemporary communitydevelopment through film.

Video and film features immerseaudiences in a nationwide tour ofresidential buildings and community

…continued on page 4

When a building as memorable as FonthillCastle has been around for over 100

years, perhaps it should not be a surprise thatgenerations of a family develop connections toit. Last year, Stefan Oline stopped into Fonthillwith an old photograph. In the photograph, acouple is standing next to a “Merceresque”concrete wall with a balustrade visible behindthem. He told Fonthill’s staff that it was a photoof his grandparents and he had been told thephotograph was taken at Fonthill.

After a lot of sets of eyes studied the pictureand after much debate and discussion,Fonthill’s staff concluded that the most likelyspot where the picture was taken was on theterrace of the garage building next to Fonthill.When Stefan heard about this he asked if heand his fiancé could have their picture takenin the same spot. Ever the romantics, Fonthill’sstaff agreed and made arrangements for Stefanand Amanda to recreate the old photo. Stefanand Amanda are now happily married.

This photo makes us wonder. How manyfolks out there that have photographs of familyat Fonthill then and now. If you do we wouldlove to see them!

Then and Now at Fonthill

James and Pauline Oline, 1946

Stefan and Amanda Oline, 2014

developments that reflect contem-porary trends. From futuristic dormitories to post-Katrina com-munities built on shared interests inmusic, the images evoke the expe-rience of residential space and illustrate the evolution and diversity of American domestic ar-chitecture, design, and community.In its scope, content, and presenta-tion, the exhibit moves beyond thebricks and mortar to challenge ourideas about what it means to be athome in America.

House & Home has been madepossible through NEH on the Road,a special initiative of the NationalEndowment for the Humanities. Ithas been adapted and is beingtoured by Mid-America ArtsAlliance. House & Home wasorganized by the National BuildingMuseum, Washington, D.C., andcurated by Sarah Leavitt.Additional support was providedby the Home Depot Foundation.Local sponsors: Drexel Metals Inc.,Raphael Architects, AIA BucksCounty, A Chapter of the AmericanInstitute of Architects,Eiseman Construction, Roofingand Exterior Renovation Contractors, HappContractors Inc., and Tom Thomas.

Alongside the traveling exhibit, the

Mercer Museum is displaying a selectionof historical objects and images from itspermanent collection that highlight HenryMercer’s interest in “old houses.” Methods

of home construction have variedthroughout history, depending onthe local environment and theavailability of labor and materials.Mercer chiefly studied structures inBucks County and the nearbyDelaware Valley, among themnumerous houses built of log andstone. The display includes originalstudy casts Mercer made of thecorners of log cabins, portions of his nail and architectural hardwarecollections, and house-relatedimages he pasted into scrapbooksfor the Bucks County HistoricalSociety.

Also on view in the museum’sGreat Hall, will be a sampling oftall case clocks from the collection.Included among them is a clockproduced in the shop of JosephEllicott of Buckingham Townshipbetween 1755 and 1760, a bequestfrom the estate of Kenneth Gemmillin 2001.

A series of programs have beendeveloped to accompany the House& Home exhibit, ranging fromillustrated lectures focused onhistorical and contemporaryarchitecture, to craft and other

hands-on activities for youth and families.Check the museum’s calendar of events forthe full program schedule. ■

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What Makes a House a Home? continued from page 3

PLASTER DOOR CASTS AND BUTT HINGE.Collected by Henry C. Mercer during his

“Dating of Old Houses” investigations, c. 1919.

Collections on the Road The Mercer Museum’s loan program continues to be strong

and a great source of pride, traveling to prestigious institutionsand educating audiences.

Of recent note, the Special Collections and UniversityArchives of Rutgers University curated the major exhibition,New Jersey before the Revolution: Land and People, with afocus on the diversity of early inhabitants. This exhibit andspecial programming was in celebration of New Jersey’s 350thanniversary as an established British Colony.

Illustrated by rare and unique manuscripts and objects,visitors were encouraged to place themselves in the contextof the colonial period by examining the complexity ofovercoming cultural and religious differences.

The Mercer Museum was proud to lend “The Hunter and theSnake” stoveplate, made in Burlington, New Jersey, 1770. Thisartifact represented the contributions of early German settlers.

For more information about this artifact, please visit ouron-line catalog RolloPAC and keyword search “The Hunterand the Snake.”

Hunter and the Snake Stoveplate, 1770.

In 1916, Henry Mercer donated agrouping of approximately 200 objects

associated with George Nees, a mid-nine-teenth century chair maker in LancasterCounty, Pennsylvania, to the HistoricalSociety’s museum. The artifacts includednumerous hand tools, stencils, paints, pat-terns and parts from Nees’ chair-makingbusiness. However, only one of Nees’chairs – in fair condition – was includedin the gift.

Last year, the museum wasdelighted to receive a set of sixchairs, each with Nees’ stampmarking the undersides of each seat. The chairs, dating to about1860 and in excellent condition, are representative of both Nees’work and mid-nineteenth centuryPennsylvania chair making in general.They feature “tablet-top” crest rails, asolid back splat, and various paintedfloral designs and highlights over a reddish-brown ground. We aregrateful to David B. Long forbringing these chairs to our attention,and for making them a gift to themuseum.

At the time of Mercer’s originalgift in 1916, he attributed the variouschair making tools and parts to Nees,suggesting that he worked in Manheim,Lancaster County. This information wasapparently supplied by the antiques dealerfrom whom Mercer acquired the artifacts,D.B. Missemer of Manheim. However, acheck of census records from the thirdquarter of the 1800s reveals the difficultyof attributing the tools and chairs to aparticular individual with certainty. First,the surname, “Nees,” can be found spelledany number of ways, ranging from“Neese” to “Niese” to “Nase.” There areat least two “George” Nees (or Neese,Niesse, Nies or Nase) who might possiblybe the chair maker, though neither isidentified specifically with that trade. Oneappears in the 1860 and 1880 censuses forManheim, and is listed as a “painter.” Ifthis is the individual associated with the

chairs and tools in the Mercer collection,it is possible that he self-identified moreas a decorator than as a woodworker.

A second “George” might also be acandidate, though he did not apparentlyreside in Manheim. Rather, this GeorgeNees seems to have moved around a bit inLancaster County, from ElizabethTownship (1850), to Ephrata (1860), toClay (1870-1880). In 1850 and 1860, hisoccupation is recorded as “carpenter,”

though by 1870 it is “farmer.” In thatsame year, however, his son Samuelis recorded as “working in cabinetshop.” More information andresearch is required to firmly connectNees the chair maker with one ofthese individuals.

Several of Nees’ tools (on loanfrom the Mercer Museum), along withseveral examples of his chairs, arecurrently on view in the visitors’ centerat the Landis Valley Farm Museum inLancaster, part of an exhibit entitled,Chairs, Chairs, Chairs! HandcraftedTraditions from Rural Pennsylvania,1750-1875.

In addition to the Nees chairs,David Long also donated a numberof other items to the museum

collection in 2014, including medicinebottles, sports medals, a needleworksampler, and a “Garfield and Arthur Club”campaign belt from the 1880 presidentialelection – all with local histories. AmongLong’s gifts to the museum, too, was achest of drawers made by Robert Sellers, aNewtown, Bucks County cabinet maker,in 1813. The chest bears Sellers’ stencilunder one of the drawers.

We are also grateful for a number ofother gifts to the collection, including aBucks County album quilt and abuttonhole cutter (gifts of Roy and NancyKolb), an early 1900s concrete mixingtrough (gift of James Clarkson), and apolice uniform once belonging to EdwardStiles Naylor (1890-1973), a securityofficer at the Point Pleasant bridge (gift ofJeanne Dobron). ■

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Set of Paint-decorated Chairs Among Recent Museum Acquisitions

LATE WINDSOR SIDE CHAIR – Detail of Maker’s Stamp.

LATE WINDSOR SIDE CHAIR.George Nees, Lancaster County,

Pennsylvania, c. 1860. Gift of David B. Long.

In 1997, the Mercer Museumpresented a major exhibit

featuring the Pennsylvania-German color drawings anddecorated manuscripts knowncollectively as Fraktur. Thoughthis folk art form was producednearly everywhere German immigrants settled in Americaduring the eighteenth and earlynineteenth centuries, the mu-seum’s exhibit focused on thoseitems of Fraktur created prima-rily in Bucks County.

This winter, in conjunctionwith other exhibits at thePhiladelphia Museum of Artand the Free Library ofPhiladelphia, the Mercer willmount a mini-exhibit featuringFraktur pieces acquired ordiscovered by the museum since 1997. The exhibit, Re-discovering Bucks County Fraktur:Recent Acquisitions, will run from

February 14 through April 12. The exhibits at the Philadelphia Museum of

Art and the Free Library willextend from February 1 through April26, and March 2 through June15, respectively.

The embellished manu-scripts known as Fraktur wereexecuted by schoolmasters,itinerant scriveners, ministers,and others skilled with pen andbrush. On view will be deco-rated birth and baptismal cer-tificates, student penmanshipmodels and copybooks, re-wards of merit, devotionaltexts, bookplates, and more.Other Pennsylvania-Germanartifacts will also be displayedin the exhibit “nook” in the museum’s Great Hall.

In conjunction with the ex-hibit, a special program hasalso been scheduled focused on

Fraktur and family genealogy. Researcher,

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A Season for Fraktur

BIRTH AND BAPTISMAL CERTIFICATE FOR JACOB ESCHBACH. JohannesMoyer, Bucks County, 1798. Museum purchase, made possible by

bequests from the estates of J. David Miller and George M. Hart, 2011.

When Mercer Celebrated Its 50th Anniversary

As the Mercer Museum ap-proaches its centennial in

2016, it might be fun to lookback to see how the institutioncelebrated its 50th anniversary.The year was 1966, some whohad actually known Henry Mer-cer were still living, and a seriesof golden anniversary eventswere planned for that autumn.

Doylestown’s Daily Intelli-gencer newspaper reported onall the anniversary festivities.On the evening of October 14,Historical Society members andtheir guests gathered to dine anddance at a formal ball held inthe “festively decorated ElkinsAuditorium” and the museum’s “dramaticcentral court.” In Elkins, music was pro-vided by Cliff Dunn and The Townsmen,while Sam Bocella and his Chordovox en-tertained in the museum proper. Some 160members and guests were in attendance atthe black-tie affair.

The next day saw the HistoricalSociety’s autumn meeting, with the“election” of 75 new members, theintroduction of three new staff members –

including curator, Robert MacDonald andlibrarian, Cora Decker – and remarks bytwo of the Society’s past presidents. A newportrait of Henry Mercer, by local artist J.Arnold Todd, was also presented to themembership. A buffet supper and aconcert by the Bucks County SymphonyOrchestra followed, with music “chosenespecially for the occasion.”

That evening, the celebration movedoutside to the grounds of the museum for

the golden anniversary’s grandfinale. On the west lawn, andagainst the backdrop of themuseum building, theHistorical Society presented adramatic “sound and lightshow” for the general public.“The Story of the MercerMuseum in Sound and Light”featured spotlights, floodlights,recorded music, voicenarration, projected images onseveral screens, and even “liveaction.” The cast for the “live”portion of the performanceincluded Laura Swain, Mercer’sformer housekeeper andassistant, who portrayed herself.

Though it was a chilly night, some fourhundred people attended the event, whichclimaxed with the appearance of “Dr.Mercer” himself, portrayed by EricDressler. Mercer (Dressler) arrived in a1916 Ford Model T coupe, accompaniedby “a young friend, a very young friend,and an assortment of tools.”

As the museum plans for its centennialcelebration next year, we certainly hope torival the excitement of the 1966 festivities! ■

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRANTS DANCE IN THE ELKINS AUDITORIUM.Photo by James Barlow, Doylestown, 1966.

From the Bucks County Historical Society Archives.

…continued on page 11

Visitors to Fonthill are sometimessurprised to learn that Henry Chap-

man Mercer never owned a car. He rodethrough Doylestown on his bicycle, tooka taxi or traveled by train, and occasion-ally was driven around by employeeBenjamin H. Barnes.

Benjamin - better known as Benny -was not a full-time chauffeur. He had beenhired in 1910 to work at the MoravianPottery and Tileworks, which was thenlocated on the grounds of “Aldie,” theMercer estate. Benny had grown up on hisfamily’s farm on nearby SandyRidge Road, in DoylestownTownship. In his memoir, herecalled how as a boy, hewould see Mercer’s brotherWilliam Jr. ride by onhorseback, a dog trailingbehind. Barnes said that later“Mr. Willie …was one of thefirst to own an automobile inwhich he would drive past thefarm. This was the first motorcar I had ever seen.”

At the pottery, Bennyhelped with tile productionand also “hauled freight to therailroad station in a marketwagon drawn by Uno, thehorse.” When Henry Mercerwas preparing to move into hisnewly built home Fonthill, hecalled on Barnes to help. Although thebulk of the household furnishings werecarted from Mercer’s rental property“Linden” to Fonthill by other workers, itwas Benny who transported the contentsof the wine cellar, using Uno and thewagon. He said, “Dr. Mercer told me …that he did not want the men to move theliquor as they would drink it. I assure youI did not have a drop. I was then a boy ofseventeen years.”

Following the completion of Fonthilland the construction of the new potteryclose by, Mercer turned his effortstoward the new museum building of theBucks County Historical Society,dedicated in June 1916. That year,Barnes had purchased his first auto, aFord “touring car” which he used todrive Mercer to the dedication service.Over the next fourteen years, Bennywould take many “jaunts through the

county” with his employer, up untilMercer’s death in 1930.

Barnes described some of theseexcursions: “We would start out after thepottery closed at five-thirty or onSaturday or Sunday afternoons. Dr.Mercer always wanted the top down. Hesat on a thick leather-covered cushionand a folded blanket, which raised himup quite high. He was a tall man and thisgave him leg room.”

“Many of the trips were to study oldhouses,” said Barnes, adding that thesearch for old objects to fill the museumled them to seek out “collectors of junk.”

While visiting an elderly woman wholived in an old log house on HaycockMountain, Mercer was told by the poorlady that she didn’t have enough moneyto eat. He then directed his driver to giveher a five dollar bill, which Benny said

she greatly appreciated. Accord-ing to Benny, Mercer usually didnot carry money with him. “Onthe motor trips we would comehome with a load of antiques forthe museum. Sometimes theycost as much as fifty dollars.‘Ben, can you pay for these?’ hewould say. As I never had thatmuch money on me, I found iteasier to take his checkbook anda pen along and make out thecheck for him to sign.”

During one suchexcursion out alongRidge Road near theElephant Hotel, Bennyfound himself needing tofix a flat tire. Mercerviewed the speedy repairwork of Barnes anddeclared, “Ben, you are thefastest man with yourhands I ever saw. You mustbe hot, I’ll treat you (it wasa very hot day) – so stop atthe Elephant and we willget a glass of beer.” Whenthe men had downed theirdrinks, Mercer turned andasked: “Ben, do you havea dime on you to pay forthese?” As Benny noted

later, when writing up the trip, he addedten cents for two beers.

Benjamin Barnes was a serious carowner, keeping meticulous records ofeach automobile that he purchased,along with the costs associated withmaintaining them. He also kept track inneatly penned ledgers of the numeroustrips that were taken as he motoredthroughout town and countryside.Passengers included not only his boss“Mr. Harry,” but also Frank Swain,Laura Long, friends, family membersand customers of the tile business.Alongside their names, are the details ofwhere they traveled and how much theycontributed toward the cost of the trip.With Benny Barnes sitting proudlybehind the wheel, they were surely all infor an exciting ride.

[Notes taken from “The MoravianPottery: Memories of Forty-Six Years”by Benjamin H. Barnes, BCHS 1970]

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Driving Mr. Harry

Photo of Benny Barnes. Date unknown.

Barnes’ ledger detailing expenses.

By Janine White

Samuel Aaron was a renowned teacherand orator who led a number of schools

in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but hecame from humble beginnings. He wasborn to a farming family in New Britain in1800, and was orphaned at the age of six.After the death of his father, he was sent tolive with his uncle. According to family, theuncle “…was very cruel when intoxicated,and his little nephew would frequently hidein the barn to escape undeserved punish-ment, and wish that he could die.” This mis-treatment had a profound affect on him, andhe became active in the temperance move-ment later in life.

Despite the difficulties he faced athome, Aaron excelled in school. When hereceived a small inheritance at the age ofsixteen, he was encouraged to seekadmission to the Union Academy inDoylestown, run by Reverend UriahDuBois. The Academy would laterbecome the site of the Doylestown HighSchool. When looking back on thisturning point in his life, Aaron recalled:

I have the most vivid remembranceof the interview; of my own rustic dressand appearance contrasted with hisperfectly genteel form and bearing;how he fixed at first his black eyes uponme, sparkling through his genteelspectacles… In a few minutes he putme at my ease; made me feel I wasmore than a clumsy cipher in thehuman series, and strengthening thedetermination in my soul to be useful,virtuous, and intelligent. From that houruntil his death, his kindness beamedupon me without variation or eclipse;

in spite of all that was weak and all thatwas wrong in my course, his affectionwas that of a father and a friend.The Academy was a well-respective

school, drawing students from variousstates and even the West Indies. Aaron’sadmission into the program turned his lifearound, and he became a star pupil. Aftera few years, he left Doylestown to attendGummere Academy, an all boy’s school inBurlington, New Jersey, where he alsoworked as a teacher while finishing hisstudies. However, he remained close to hismentor and friend, Reverend DuBois, andeventually married his daughter Emilia. In1824, Aaron opened his own school inBridge Point (now Edison) before takingover the Union Academy.

In addition to educating children, Aaronalso encouraged intellectual developmentin the wider community. He was afounding member of Doylestown’sAcademy of Natural Sciences, whichpresented lectures on topics includingbotany, entomology, mineralogy, andelectricity, and he also served as pastor ofNew Britain Baptist Church.

After leading Union Academy and New Britain Baptist for five years, Aaron left Doylestown for good, eventu-ally settling in Norristown, where

he openedTreemoun tSeminary andalso playedan active rolein the Underground Railroad. He dedicatedmuch of his later life to the abolitionistcause, and took part in contentious publicdebates during the Civil War. He lived justlong enough to hear the news of GeneralLee’s surrender on April 9, 1865. Two dayslater, Aaron died peacefully in bed.

Within the archives of the Mercer Museum Library are two Astronomy Exer-cise Books created by Samuel Aaron.W.W.H. Davis, who studied under Aaron,called him “one of the most brilliant menour county has ever produced.” These bookscontain intricate diagrams of solar eclipsesand other astronomical phenomena, andprovide valuable information about how science was taught in the nineteenth century.

As part of our ongoing effort to makecollections more accessible to the onlineuser, Samuel Aaron’s Astronomy ExerciseBooks were recently added to our catalog “RolloPAC.” To search for this and to peruse other library, archival and artifact collections, please visit mercermuseum.org and click on “Searchthe Collection. ■

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History Highlight: Samuel Aaron (1800-1865)By Jesse Crooks, Mercer Museum Library Volunteer

The Union Academy from the 1886 bird’s eye view of Doylestown.

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Donations Support Mercer Robotics Camp

For more thantwenty years, the

Mercer has been thesite of an innovativeand forward-lookingsummer camp expe-rience for youth. The museum’sLego™ RoboticsCamps offer a fun,engaging setting inwhich kids, ages 7 to14, learn to exploreboth mechanical anddigital concepts.Though a concretecastle filled with obsolete tools mayseem a strange placeto consider the futureof robotics, the museum’s collection

provides much of the inspiration for camp projects and learning. The Mercer Robotics experience begins with the “Basic

Camp,” where younger students are introduced to thefundamentals of computer language and programming, and buildLego devices inspired by the hand tools and machines found inthe museum. They learn basic mechanical principles, and lay thefoundation for further explorations at the intermediate andadvanced levels of Camp. Along the way, campers learn toexperiment, ask questions, solve problems, and exercise theirimagination and creativity.

At the upper levels of Robotics Camp, kids build morecomplex devices, guided by icon-based computer programs.Then they put their robots to the test to discover whether theyhave successfully anticipated problems and developed effectivesolutions. Coupled with a heavy dose of persistence, the processof technological innovation is evident throughout the campexperience: imagining, hypothesizing, creating, experimentingand problem-solving. As campers practice these skills, theyengage fully with the “STEM” disciplines: science, technology,engineering and mathematics.

With the camp’s technology-driven curriculum, it is veryimportant for the museum to stay current and provide up-to-datecomputers and educational kits to camp participants. Thanks tomany generous contributions to the 2013 Cocktails at the CastleMission Appeal, and to a major grant from FoundationsCommunity Partnership, the Mercer has been able to add 14 newMacBook laptop computers, a similar number of new “LegoMindstorms EV3” construction kits, updated software, and somenecessary peripheral materials to the camp’s teaching resources.

The museum is also taking steps to increase and broaden campparticipation, hoping particularly to encourage more elementaryand middle school age girls to take advantage of the STEMexperiences that are so central to the camp curriculum. ■

Robotics Camp teacher, Don Orcutt with a student.

MEMBER SURVEYWe want to hear from you! As members, you play a

valuable role in helping us achieve our mission and yourfeedback is important to us. Please participate in ourelectronically administered member survey when we reachout to you in early March 2015.

A Great Evening Benefiting Education,

Conservation and Exhibitions!Thank you for your support and participation in the Mercer

Museum’s third annual Cocktails at the Castle gala. The eventwas a wonderful success, raising over $100,000 to support edu-cation programs for thousands of school children, conservationwork to protect irreplaceable artifacts, and exhibitions to bringcultural experiences to our communities.

More than 350 guests enjoyed this year’s event which onceagain showcased the Mercer Museum and all its wonder.

“It’s a night to explore this remarkable treasure, enjoy deliciousfood, and share a passion for history and education with family,friends and longtime supporters,” stated Brian McLeod, BCHSTrustee.

Keeping with tradition, our area’s leading restaurants, wineries,breweries, bakeries and caterers provided their specialties forguests to sample and savor. From oyster shooters to empanadas,chocolate covered bacon to strawberry soup, beautifully designedcupcakes and decorated cakes to aromatic coffees and flavorfulsangria— there was something for every foodie! The SilentAuction offered a varied selection of gifts and unique experiences,and our automated bidding added lots of excitement for guestsvying to win their favorite items.

One of the featured components of the night was our MissionAppeal, which focused on our 2015 Firefighting Exhibition. Aspecial area in the Marquee Tent was dedicated to highlightingartifacts in need of conservation for this much anticipatedpresentation. Guests learned that the Mercer Museum holds one ofthe nation’s largest collections related to volunteer firefighting inPhiladelphia.

It was a very special evening offering guests an extraordinaryopportunity to explore, discover, learn, and truly make a difference.

Thank you to Our Cocktails at the Castles Sponsors. Seepage 10.

Special Thanks To OurGenerous Contributors…

Foundations Community PartnershipSusan E. Kane

Judy & Bud NewmanMarvin & DeeAnn Woodall

Mission Appeal Donors-2013 Cocktails at the Castle Gala

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Pinnacle Sponsor Wells Fargo Advisors Drexel Metals Inc. 

Tower Sponsor A to Z Party Rental 

Spire Sponsor Americor Press Comcast Curtin & Heefner LLP Eastburn & Gray, P.C. Fulton Bank Susan E. Kane KBZ Communications National Penn Thompson BMW Worth & Company, Inc. 

Finial Sponsor Ameriprise Financial Laura & Michael Biersmith Doris Hart Carr, in memory of

George M. Carr III E. C. Bentz

Electrical Contractor, Inc. Eiseman Construction First Savings Banking-

Insurance-Investments Lin Hodgdon & Tom

Modzelewski Keenan Motor Group, Keenan

Motors & Keenan Honda Kreischer Miller Lunch Productions Marshall Financial Group State Senator Charles

McIlhinney Pennoni Associates, Inc. RMG Insurance Rockwood Wealth

Management TD Bank

Culinary Specialties Provided byAnn’s Cake PanArtistically BakedBobby SimoneCapital Wine & SpiritsCaleb’s American KitchenChaddsford WineryChambers 19

Chive CaféCross Culture —

Fine Indian CuisineDoylestown Brewing Co.Earl’s Bucks CountyEmpanada MamaThe Hattery Stove & StillJoseph Ambler InnMcCoole’s at the

Historic Red Lion InnMemorable AffairsNina’s Waffles & SweetsNomoo Cookie CompanyPA Soup and SeafoodPenn TaproomPigs and GigsPlumsteadville InnPuckQuinoaS&B Event Concepts

and CateringSand Castle WinerySweet Sisters Cupcake

BoutiqueThe Waterwheel RestaurantWegmans Food MarketsThe Zen Den

EntertainmentAcoustic MadnessJazz It UprightWhere’s Pete?

Gala Committee MembersCo -ChairsMaureen B. and Mark E. CarltonGrace M. and Vincent J. Deon

Sydney A. Beckett Mary BiagioliMarlene J. BurnsDoris Hart CarrHeather A. CevascoMelissa CharryMelissa B. EisemanSuzy FeilmeierFrancis D. FurgiueleLinda B. HodgdonMelani KodikianDave MinnickMichael B. RaphaelMaxine Romano

Kathleen “Taffy” ScheaLisa Kristin SorenTerry Steinberg Rochelle ThompsonDebbie ThorneLarry WoodsonMarie Woodson

2014 Cocktails at the CastleMission Appeal DonorsSusan E. KaneMATCOR, Inc.Tom ThomasLisa PretecrumJudy HaymanJanis & George WozarRochelle & John ThompsonMelani Kodikian & Kyle BurrowsMolly Lowell & Rich DuvallBrian & Louise McLeodLori & Rick MillhamHeather CousinsCory Amsler & Eileen Shapiro

Other generous support provided byThe 1719 William Trent

House MuseumA Friend of Mercer MuseumAct 1 Productions –

DeSales UniversityAndre’s Wine & Cheese ShopArtistic PizzeriaBalance Spa & Fitness

at Omni PhiladelphiaBarrie Audio VideoBergdorf Goodman, NYCBlack Bass HotelBlue MountainGuillermo Bosch, Esq.Bountiful Acres

Landscaping & NurseryBradford Renaissance PortraitsBuchanan Ingersoll

& Rooney PCBuckman’s Ski ShopBucks Country GardensBucks County Choral SocietyBucks County Library CenterBucks County PlayhouseBuinewicz Plastic Surgery

and MedspaByers’ Choice Ltd.

Capital Wine & SpiritsMaureen B. CarltonSteven M. CaseCBS 3 & CW PhiladelphiaCentral Bucks High School

East Key ClubCentral Bucks High School

West Key ClubChaddsford WineryChapman Gallery-DoylestownChris’ CottageChristine Taylor CollectionChristkindlmarkt BethlehemClassic Cigar CompanyGeorgie ColesComcastCostcoCounty TheaterCowgirl Chile Co. —

Laura RutkowskiCreative ClosetsCW DesignDoylestown Fire CompanyDoylestown FloribundaThe Doylestown InnDynamic LightingEagles Peak Spring Water Essentials Salon and

Day Spa of DoylestownAlan FettermanCongressman Michael G.

FitzpatrickFrater’s ElectricFrancis D. Furgiuele, CRPCMaria GoldbergGretz Beer CompanyGrounds for SculptureHarry Kahn NeckwearLin HodgdonKelly Ann JacobsonJames Gettys HotelDon F. KaiserRosemarie KauppKramer PortraitsJayne and Bob LesterM RestaurantState Senator Chuck McIlhinneyMealey’s FurnitureMemorable AffairsMiacomet Golf CourseMid-Atlantic Center

for the Arts & Humanities

2014 Cocktails at the Castles Sponsors

11

Betty MinnucciMo Better EntertainmentMom’s Flower ShoppeMonmouth MuseumMorris MuseumMuseum Apprentice Program

StudentsMuseum of Early Trades

& CraftsNantucket Historical AssociationNatech Solutions LLCNejad Gallery Oriental RugOld Barracks MuseumOmni Hotel at Independence

ParkOrion’s LightBill PattersonPECOPennsylvania Academy

of the Fine ArtsPennsylvania Shakespeare

FestivalPennsylvania Soup

& Seafood HousePhiladelphia Museum of Art

and Granite Hill RestaurantPhiladelphia ZooRunning Press Book PublishersRutherford’s Camera ShopS&B Event Concepts

and CateringSeibert & RiceSellersville Theater & Washington

House RestaurantShapiro-Amsler FamilySimon & SchusterDave SongSpring Valley Nurseries Sweet Sisters Cupcake

BoutiqueSweetwater Golf CourseTabora Farm and OrchardDean F. ThomasRochelle and John ThompsonThe Thompson Detail CenterMr. and Mrs. H. ThorneTuckerton SeaportThe Walnut Street TheatreChristopher Willett,

Lahaska Fine ArtWilliam Penn Inn

The Friends of the BucksCounty Historical Society

(BCHS) has been actively in-volved in planning engagingprograms and activities to pro-mote history education. Thegroup’s most recent bus tripvisited Lancaster, PA, whereguests enjoyed a tour of St.James Episcopal Church, toview the Mercer tile installa-tion on the altar. The tiles wereinstalled in 1916, followed by

an installation of Mercer floor tiles in 1927. Trip stops also included Lancaster’s CentralMarket, the country’s oldest continuing operating farmer’s market, as well as Wheatland, thestately home of our nation’s 15th President, James Buchanan.

The group’s March 16th program, which is free to the public and presented in the ElkinsGallery, will feature Doylestown resident and Mercer Museum member, Curtis Cowgill, whowill showcase a personal photo journey of his recent trip to Antarctica.

To learn more about the Friends of BCHS, their programs and activities, and/or to join thisspecial group, please visit our website, www.mercermuseum.org or contact Eileen Shapiro,Special Events Coordinator at 215-345-0210 ext. 132 /eshapiro@mercermuseum.org

With A Little Help From Our Friends

To learn more about the EITCprogram, please contact LauraBiersmith at 215-345-0210 ext. 129lbiersmith@mercermuseum.org.

Mercer Rainmakers are businessmembers dedicated to supportingeducation, preservation andcommunity enrichment. More than125 businesses belong to ourdistinguished group of corporatecitizens, providing a vital source ofincome and ambassador support forthe Mercer Museum and Library &Fonthill Castle. We would like towelcome our newest Rainmakers:

Master CraftsmenDrexel Metals Inc.

CraftsmenFred Beans

Family of Dealerships

Glenmede

GuildsmenComcastOriglio BeverageStockertown

Beverage

ArtisansEiseman

ConstructionFirstrust BankPine Run

RetirementCommunity

TradesmenAdams-Bickel

Associates, LLCAntheil Maslow

MacMinn LLPArtistically BakesBobby Simone’s

Restaurant &Bar

Cross Culture-Fine Indian Cuisine Restaurant & Catering

Doylestown Brewing

Special Thanks to Our EITC Businesses For Their Support of Our National History Day

And Mercer Apprentice Program Students

author and family historian, Corinne Earnest,will present, “What You Always Wanted toKnow about Fraktur, but Were Afraid to Ask,”on Sunday March 22 at 2 p.m. Presented in col-laboration with the Bucks County GenealogicalSociety, Earnest’s illustrated talk explores the

various categories of Fraktur – including birthand baptismal certificates, bible records, andschool-related manuscripts – and their functionand importance within Pennsylvania-Germanfamilies and communities. See the museum’scalendar of events for more information. ■

A Season for Fraktur continued from page 6

12

National History Day is ahighly regarded academic

program for elementary andsecondary students. HistoryDay is an experience that pos-itively impacts studentsthroughout Bucks and Mont-gomery Counties. It helps stu-dents further develop theirresearch skills and bolsterstheir confidence, which ulti-mately improves their aca-demic success!

This year’s Bucks and

Montgomer y Count iesRegional Competition willtake place on Saturday, March28 at Ursinus College in

Collegeville, PA. Students ingrades 6 through 12 compete,as an individual or in a group,in five categories: Exhibits,Documentaries, Websites,Performances, and HistoricalPapers. The theme for thisyear’s competition isLeadership and Legacy inHistory. Our History Dayprogram is supported by ourEducational Improvement TaxCredit (EITC) sponsors FultonBank, Hatboro Federa l

Savings, and Newman &Company, Inc. History Dayhas also been supported by theiPromise Charitable GivingFund from Volpe-Koenig P.C.Intellectual Property Law.

For more information aboutbecoming a judge for HistoryDay, please visit our NHDBucks Mont website atwww.nhdbucksmont.org/current-contest/judge-information/ oremail us at historyday@mercermuseum.org. ■

ABOVE: The mantel of the fireplace in the Studyof Fonthill with the tiles and pottery reinstalled.

Photo by Vance Koehler.

RIGHT: This closer view of the left side of themantel shows us a couple of ceramic ink stands.The Chinese one r75 was Mercer’s from his time

at Harvard. The green inkstand r77 is fromMorocco. Peeking out from behind the Moroccan inkstand is object r157, one

experimental pottery vases.

Fonthill Mantel Original AppearanceDo you have a home where objects tend

to stay put and never move for years?Or, perhaps your home is one where objectare constantly moving as you search for abetter place to display or access something.At Fonthill, we like to think that most ofthe objects have always been where theycurrently are. We know that Henry Mercerseemed to be fond of the idea that objectshave permanent locations. (At least, untilhe acquired more things and had to find aplace for them!) Yet, through a variety ofdocuments, we know that some of the arti-facts in the Study have been moved around.Perhaps the largest movement of artifactsoccurred when the Historical Society waspreparing to open Fonthill as a historichouse museum in 1975. At this time, manyof the artifact that were small, fragile orvulnerable were moved out of their originallocations to more secure storage areas. Atthe time, in addition to documenting themove in the object files, there were alsopictures taken of the rooms.

Recently, the staff at Fonthill reviewedthe photographs from 1975, and saw howthe mantel in the Study was previouslypopulated with objects. In one regard, thiswas not a surprise. Henry Mercer was acollector after all. In a collector’s mind, flatsurfaces are for displaying things. But,what did this look like? Where are all ofthese objects? What are some of theseobjects? With these questions in mind, wedecided to recreate the photograph and geta more accurate sense of how HenryMercer decorated this important room.

Vance Koehler, Fonthill Guide andVolunteer, took on the task of researchingand reconstructing what the Study mantellooked like in 1975. Using the black and

white photograph of the study, Mercer’s1930 estate inventory and his catalogentitled “Collection of Objects at Fonthill,”Koehler was able to reconstruct anddocument how this space may havelooked. All of this hard work resulted in aseries of delightful photographs that tell usa bit more about Mercer’s use of color, andthe objects he found interesting.

If you look at the right side of themantel, you will notice many of the tallervessels are from Mercer’s designs.However, most of them were produced byMercer as the result of experiments he didfor Randal McIver. At McIver’s request,Mercer was trying to determine howcertain old civilizations achieved the

particular colors on their pottery withouta glaze. It is interesting to note that theresults of these experiments weredisplayed across the room from theoriginal ancient pottery.

Unfortunately, once Fonthill staffphotographed the reinstalled mantel, theobjects were returned to storage due to thefact that some of Mercer’s vessels tend tobe top heavy and prone to tipping over.Perhaps, one day, we will find a means ofdisplaying the objects in their originallocation again, yet be able to keep themsafe for future generations. At the veryleast, we now have some colorphotographs to remind us of how HenryMercer used this flat surface. ■

Be a Judge for National History Day!

13

Log House Repairs

EAST FAÇADE OF MERCER LOG HOUSE.Wood siding was added to this side of thestructure last year in an effort to prevent

further decay of the building’s logs.

Early homes built of logs were often in-tended as temporary structures. Both

logs and the chinking between them re-quired diligent care and maintenance toprevent rot and decay. It is remarkable thatmany log homes constructed in the eigh-teenth and early nineteenth centuries dostill survive. Some have been preservedbecause homeowners chose to “update”them at some point after their original con-struction, often in an attempt to concealtheir crude external appearance. Addingclapboard siding to an early log house wasa common method for a homeowner topresent a more “refined” appearance, aswell as to better protect his property fromthe elements.

The Mercer Museum’s log house, builtin the mid-1990s to replace a structure thathad been destroyed by fire, is now abouttwenty years old and shows some signs ofwear. With this in mind, the museum hasopted for a solution chosen by manyearlier log house dwellers – add clapboardsiding. Though clapboarding will notcover the entire structure, it has beenadded to the east gable wall of the housewhere deterioration of the log “crib” hasbeen a significant problem. Though thewood siding appears quite new at present,it will eventually weather and be lessnoticeable.

The siding work was performed byFredendall Construction of Doylestown,and was supported in part by a grant fromthe Rotary Club of Doylestown. ■

Letter from James A. MichenerEditor’s note: James Michener wrote this letter to officially convey the comments hemade at a ceremony in Doylestown celebrating “the Mercer Mile” in the summerof 1972.

Denver, Colorado17 October 1972

It is proper that we should meet today to pay our respects to the most notable creativetalent that Doylestown has so far produced.

Henry Mercer was a distinguished man, gifted both in the handling of materials andin the use of ideas. I feel sure that when his remarkable constructions in this town aremore widely known, he will be recognized as an authentic natural genius in architecture,comparable to Gaudi, the fantastic architect of Barcelona, and Rodia, who erected thosewild towers in Watts. Perhaps I am prejudiced, but to me it seems that Henry Mercer hada stability of character and a relationship to the long traditions of architecture whichGaudi and Rodia lacked.

I am extremely proud of what Henry Mercer accomplished in our town. Not only arehis three buildings architectural gems worthy of study and preservation as rare historicaldocuments, but contents of the third building, the historical society, are unique in ourcultural history. We do right to honor this extraordinary man, and I look forward to theday when some scholar takes the time and has the insight to produce a book on Mercerwhich can circulate through the learned circles of the world. Then his fame will spreadto other areas in addition to his home town.

I remember Henry Mercer from the earliest days of my childhood. In fact, I grew up rightacross from his first castle and he was a familiar sight to me as he left his quarters early inthe morning on his bicycle, his ferocious-looking dog Rollo running behind. In those daysDr. Mercer wore expensive Scottish tweed knickerbockers, fastened with garters just belowhis knee. He wore heavy shoes of the best British quality, and a tweed jacket.

Each morning he pedaled what we now honor as The Mercer Mile, speaking toalmost no one, a man severely alone. We must have passed each other a thousand timesand not once did he nod or take any cognizance of me, or of any other child. HenryMercer was not the kind of man to waste his time with children, or indeed with anyonewho could not keep up with him mentally. His eyes were focused on extremely farhorizons of art, of philosophy, of history, of our cultural heritage.

He was a rare man and he accomplished rare things. We are all indebted to him forbringing fame and attention to our little town. Whatever he did made our communitybetter, and no man could have a finer accolade.

Save The Date…

2015 Mercer Legacy Sweepstakes Drawing PartySunday, May 3, 4-6 p.m. • Fonthill Castle

Purchase an entry inour 2015 Mercer LegacySweepstakes and youcould win a brand newBMW 320i or $20,000cash! Sponsored byThompson BMW andMonument Bank. To enter,call Eileen Shapiro, 215-345-0210 ext. 132 or visitwww.mercermuseum.org

14

The sound of ringing fire bells terrified urban-dwellers

throughout the 1800s. Before theCivil War, huge fires destroyedmore than $200 million worth ofproperty in the nation’s largestcities. Although Philadelphia didnot suffer a devastating confla-gration like those that nearly destroyed Boston and Chicago,the city often saw terrible blazes.Two broken and deformed sodabottles in the Mercer Museum’scollection offer mute testimony tothe destructive effects of one ofthese “terrible conflagrations.”

On July 9, 1850, a fire eruptedat 39 North Water Street inPhiladelphia and spread quickly to the Vine Street Wharf on the Delaware River. ManyPhiladelphians actually preparedto evacuate the city after a seriesof huge explosions rocked thearea, scattering debris over severalcity blocks. The blaze wasapparently sparked by frictionfrom a hoisting apparatus used byworkmen of John Brock and Company tomove barrels of molasses. The fire soonignited gunpowder and saltpeter storednearby, resulting in the explosions.Following these blasts, the fire quicklyspread across a one square mile areabetween Front and Callowhill Streets,eventually destroying more than 300homes and commercial buildings. Thoughstatistics vary, one source suggests that asmany as 28 people were killed and 100injured. Several people were actuallyblown into the Delaware River while otherswere crushed by falling walls and debris.

In an era before the establishment of aprofessional city-wide fire department,protecting a city’s residents from this sortof calamity was an important and highlyregarded act of voluntary public service.Many of the city’s volunteer firecompanies responded to the Vine Streetblaze, rushing to the scene with their handengines and hose carts. They were able toeventually bring the fire under control by2 a.m. the following morning. A numberof volunteer firemen – perhaps as many asten – were killed while battling the flames.

One of the buildings destroyed in what became known as “The Great Con-flagration of 1850,” was a soda bottlingbusiness owned and operated by William

Heiss at 213 North 2ndStreet. Heiss, a copper-smith, took advantage ofthe craze for bottled min-eral water that emergedin the 1840s, and wentinto the bottling businessas a sideline. After the1850 fire destroyed his fac-tory, he moved the businessto another location, but neverquite recovered. In 1852,Heiss posted newspaper noticesoffering his equipment and store of bottles for sale. Of the two soda bottlesin the Mercer collection that were damaged in the fire, the Heiss bottle is inthe worse condition – evidence of the intense heat and destruction that accom-panied the Vine Street Wharf fire.

The two soda bottles, along with numer-ous other artifacts and artwork related to thehistory of volunteer firefighting in Philadel-phia, will be on display this spring and sum-mer in a new Mercer Museum exhibit, ToSave Our Fellow Citizens: Volunteer Fire-fighting, 1800-1875. The exhibit focuses onthe experiences of volunteers in the city ofPhiladelphia as the city grew and expandedover the course of the nineteenth century.The volunteer firefighters were eventuallyreplaced by a paid department in 1871, and

in 1875, the VolunteerFiremen’s Associationof Philadelphia wasformed — a groupdedicated to commem-orating the service ofthe earlier fire compa-nies. It was this organi-zation that eventuallydonated its entire collec-

tion of artifacts and memorabilia to the MercerMuseum in 1919.

In addition to originalartifacts and a wealth of archival

material, the museum’s firefighting exhibitwill also include a variety of hands-onactivities for families and youth. A numberof special programs are being planned, anda companion exhibit will feature historicalimages of some of Bucks County’s earlyvolunteer fire companies. The exhibit willopen Saturday, April 25, and run throughSeptember 7.

To Save Our Fellow Citizen’s: VolunteerFirefighting, 1800-1875 is sponsored by:Visit Bucks County, Tilley Family & TilleyFire Equipment Company, In Memory ofDon Tilley’s Commitment to VolunteerFirefighting, William R. & Laurie R. Schutt,Bucks County Foundation, Susan E. Kane,Brian & Louise McLeod, Adopt An ArtifactCampaign Contributors, and Mission AppealDonors-2014 Cocktails at the Castle Gala. ■

Fire in the City!

SODA BOTTLE. William Heiss,Philadelphia, 1840s. Melted and

twisted in the “Great Conflagration of1850.” Gift of the Volunteer Firemen’s

Association of Philadelphia, 1919.

LITHOGRAPH: THE GREAT CONFLAGRATION IN PHILADELPHIAON TUESDAY JULY 9TH 1850, Charles G. Rosenberg (artist),

G.E. Leefe (lithographer), Philadelphia and New York City,1850. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

FIRE BUCKET OF SAMUELCRAWFORD & CO., RELIEF

ENGINE COMPANY.Philadelphia, Pa., 1800-

1850. Gift of theVolunteer Firemen’s

Association ofPhiladelphia.

The Mercer Museum and Fonthill Cas-tle are pleased to announce that they

have been awarded several grants to sup-port the care and conservation of their col-lections and historic interiors.

The Mercer Museum has been awardeda grant of $74,236 by the Institute ofMuseum and Library Services (IMLS), afederal agency, to relocate and re-housethree important collections representingthe diverse holdings of the institution.These collections include paintings,historical medical instruments, and toolsand cultural objects from West Africa.Currently housed in the museum’s originalexhibition buildings, and inaccessible toregular visitors, the collections will bemoved to more stable environmentalconditions in the Historical Society’s off-site storage facility. The project willinclude the acquisition of new storagefurniture, digital photography andcondition assessment of the re-locatedartworks and artifacts, and updated cataloginformation, which will be made availablevia “RolloPAC,” the museum’s on-linecatalog database.

The IMLS award is one of 211 grantsannounced last fall by the agency. Fundstotaling $25,576,662 will support museumprojects across the country. These grantsare made through IMLS’ highly-competitive Museums for America andNational Leadership for Museums

programs. The Institute of Museum andLibrary Services is the primary source offederal support for the nation’s 123,000libraries and 35,000 museums. Its missionis to inspire libraries and museums toadvance innovation, lifelong learning, andcultural and civic engagement. Throughgrant making, policy development, andresearch, IMLS helps libraries andmuseums deliver valuable services thatmake it possible for communities andindividuals to thrive.

A second grant of $5,150, provided bythe National Trust for HistoricPreservation’s Cynthia Woods MitchellFund for Historic Interiors, will support aproject at Fonthill Castle to investigatemethods of stabilizing and restoringoriginal Moravian Tile installations. Theproject will include photography andcondition assessments of interior tiles,development of techniques for restoringand replacing endangered or lost tiles, andseveral prototype treatments. Techniquesand treatments will be evaluated forsuccess, and recommendations for futuretile conservation treatments put forward.

Grants from the National TrustPreservation Funds range from about$2,500 to $5,000 and have provided over$15 million since 2003. These matchinggrants are awarded to nonprofitorganizations and public agencies acrossthe country to support wide-ranging

activities including consultant services for rehabilitating buildings, technicalassistance for tourism that promoteshistoric resources, and the development ofmaterials for education and outreachcampaigns.

In addition to these grants, the MercerMuseum and Fonthill Castle have alsobeen selected to participate in thePhiladelphia Stewardship Program,coordinated by the Center for Art andHistoric Artifacts (CCAHA). At Mercer,CCAHA staff will assist the institutionwith the development of a comprehensivedisaster plan, designed to protect andmanage collections in an emergency.And, at Fonthill Castle, CCAHA willwork with collections staff to conduct a preservation needs assessment, a step toward updating the museum’scollections care and conservation plan.As these projects are completed, the two museums will receive a total of$5,000 in grant funds which will enable the purchase of disasterpreparedness supplies at Mercer and theimplementation of a priority collectionscare project at Fonthill. Generouslysupported by the William PennFoundation, the Philadelphia StewardshipProgram assists non-profit collectinginstitutions in the Philadelphia regionachieve their preservation andconservation goals. ■

15

Collections Grants Awarded to Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle

AFRICAN COLLECTION STORAGE, Mercer Museum. The materials in theseboxes, and numerous other artifacts and artwork, will be re-located fromrooms in the original Mercer castle to the more stable environment of the

museum’s off-site Collections Storage and Study Center.

MORAVIAN TILE INSTALLATION, Fonthill Museum. A grant from theNational Trust will enable Fonthill to develop a plan and conduct some testrestoration and replacement strategies for original tile installations like the

one in this image.

We are thankful to the Richard C. VonHess Foundation, Jim and Kathy

Morrison, John and Ann Lear and the Nor-man Raab Foundation for providing vitalfunds for the Mercer Museum Research Li-brary. With the tremendous support fromthese special contributors, we will imple-ment much needed technology upgrades andimprovements aimed at providing re-searchers enhanced access to our collections.

Our Library serves more than 2,000users each year, both on-site and viavarious distance services (research bymail, telephone and e-mail queries). Ourfacility houses over 20,000 books,periodicals and pamphlets, more than 800distinct manuscript collections (plus some 1600 bound manuscripts), and over12,000 images, maps and other graphicalmaterials. The Library also serves as arepository for many governmental records, dating back as early as 1683, ondeposit from the County of Bucks. The

various collections document not onlylocal history, but also early Americantechnology, culture and folk art, andilluminate the life of museum founderHenry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930).“RolloPAC” is the online catalog of the

Mercer Museum Library, providing accessto information about library (andmuseum) collections. These vital grantfunds will enable us to: (1) acquire a newdigital microfilm reader and establish amicrofilm workstation, (2) complete thecataloging of our 19th and early 20thcentury postcard collection, and (3)establish a patron computer workstationthat provides internet access capabilitiesas well as access to “RolloPAC.”

“The support from these wonderfulfoundations and individuals further positionsthe Library as a key resource center,” statedSara Good, BCHS Collections Manager andArchivist. “Technology advancements playa major role in providing researchers withmore options and broader access and wemust remain at the forefront of deliveringthese services.”

The upgrades and improvements areunderway and slated for completion byApril 2015. ■

16

Enhancing Access

Mercer Program Volunteer Opportunities

There is little question that friendly, helpful and enthusiastic staff helpto make a trip to the Mercer Museum a great experience for visitors. Whileour reception staff does a great job of greeting and launching visitors ontheir journey through the Mercer castle and exhibits, we would like tooffer additional encounters with friendly faces throughout the museum.

With this in mind, the museum is always looking for adult volunteerswho can assist with special programs, serve as gallery guides orexplainers, or present demonstrations and “try-its” at our “ExpeditionsCart.” Many of these opportunities are occasional, connected withparticular exhibits or programs as needed or as they arise. What they allhave in common is a job description focused on interacting with thepublic, and maximizing visitors’ enjoyment and engagement with themuseum and its collections.

Volunteers are currently needed in the following areas related toprograms and exhibits:

Gallery Guide/Explainer (Occasional or regular schedule): Greetsvisitors, monitors galleries, answers questions and facilitates experienceswith temporary and permanent exhibits. May also lead Mercer“Expedition Cart” presentations, demonstrations and try-its. Should enjoyinteracting with the public, and be willing to study and learn content.

Public Programs (Occasional): Assists with a variety of educationalprograms and special events throughout the year on a flexible, as neededbasis. Programs include Dolls’ Day Out, Holiday Open House, Mercer byMoonlight, Summer Camps, and weekend arts & crafts activities. Shouldenjoy interacting with the public, and working with children.

Anyone interested in learning more, or applying for a volunteerposition, is invited to contact Frances Boffa at 215-345-0210 x110, or e-mail fboffa@mercermuseum.org. Volunteer opportunities in other areasof our museums may also be available. Please feel free to inquire. ■

A 19th century warming pot!Typically used when nursing the sick, it

conveniently kept food warm while being safelyclose at hand. A small lamp was lit and placedinside the cylinder, closing the door wouldcontain the heat. The larger cup had a smallamount of water and slide snugly into the top,resting on the rim. The smaller cup was putinside the larger cup – creating a double boiler.And those two “wings” are actually vents!

For more information about this object, visitour online catalog RolloPAC and keywordsearch “Food Warmer” or enter the accession09171.A-E.

That’s What the Heck It Is!

At its October meeting the BCHSBoard of Trustees adopted a new

Strategic Plan for the organization covering the period 2015 – 2018. ThePlan was developed over a seven month period in 2014 and involved bothinternal and external constituents. TheStrategic Plan builds on many substantialstudies and assessments completed inprevious years. The Plan also builds onour experience with operating the newMercer wing over three years. BCHSBoard Chair, William Maeglin, com-mented on the process. “The planningprocess was coordinated by our new Visioning Committee of the Board. Overseveral months, Board and staff engagedin small group discussions to determinethe priorities of the organization acrossall facilities. It was a thorough and rewarding process, and I believe the endresult will serve the organization wellover the next four years.”

Historical Society is a dynamic,educational organization that operates theMercer Museum and Library, andFonthill Castle. The organization involvesits visitors in meaningful explorations ofthe past through active engagement withits dramatic buildings and historicalcollections. We encourage our visitors toview history from multiple perspectivesand multiple disciplines, and in relationto their own lives. The organizationrecognizes that it must offer innovative

and participatory experiences in order toinvolve diverse segments of local,regional and national audiences. Ourmuseums and library strive to offer themost exciting, engaging and uniquehistory experiences in the DelawareValley. The organization pledges itscommitment to the highest ethical andprofessional standards.

The extensive Plan document outlinesmany objectives and strategies for the

Mercer Museum & Library and FonthillCastle over the period 2015 - 2018.Specifically, within the period of the plan,the BCHS will complete a master plan forthe Fonthill Castle site and all other BCHSproperties; present a range of temporaryexhibits at the Mercer Museum to providea sense of change and excitement; andsolidify fiscal support by establishing anexhibition fund and growing theendowment. In addition, we will celebratethe Mercer Museum Centennial in 2016and use the occasion as a catalyst forwidespread attention on the museum andthe Mercer legacy.

The Summary of the 2015 – 2018Strategic Plan can be found on our websitewww.mercermuseum.org.

As part of the planning process theBoard reviewed and revised theorganization’s Mission and Visionstatements as follows: The extensive PlandocumentsMission

It is the mission of the Bucks CountyHistorical Society to educate and engageits many audiences in appreciating thepast and to help people find stories andmeanings relevant to their lives — bothtoday and in the future.Vision

Inspired by the vision and creativity ofHenry C. Mercer (1856-1930), the BucksCounty ■

17

The One Investment With A Return That Makes History!A charitable Gift Annuity with the Bucks County Historical Society in one of the most rewarding investments you can make. This gift planning tool provides you with guaranteed, fixed annuity payments for your lifetime with future support benefiting history education for school children.

Consider your planned giving options and make history today. To inform us of a planned gift or to learn more about planned giving opportunities, please call Laura Biersmith in our development department, 215-345-0210 ext. 129.

ovides you with This gift planning tool prding investments you can make. ewarmost r

County Historical Society in one of the A charitable Gift Annuity with the Bucks

ovides you with ding investments you can make.

County Historical Society in one of the A charitable Gift Annuity with the Bucks

.and make history todayConsider your planned giving options

en.education for school childre support benefiting history lifetime with futur

guaranteed, fixed annuity payments for your

215-345-0210 ext. 129.Biersmith in our development department, giving opportunities, please call Laura

e about planned n morplanned gift or to learo inforTTo

Consider your planned giving options

e support benefiting history guaranteed, fixed annuity payments for your

Biersmith in our development department, giving opportunities, please call Laura

e about planned o inform us of a

BCHS Adopts New Strategic Plan

Board planning session at Fonthill’s TerracePavilion. From l to r: Heather Cevasco;

Laura Biersmith, VP Development; Dave Franke; Susan Fisher.

Save the Date forDolls’ Day Out!

This year’sannual Dolls’Day Out eventwill be held atthe MercerMuseum onSaturday,March 7.

The day includes a doll tea andfashion show, craft activity,storytelling, open hearth cooking andmore. Tickets are now on sale. Thecost is $15 per person ($12 formembers). Ask about our specialgroup rate. Reserve your space early— this popular event tends to sell out!

Happy Guests at the2014 Dolls’ Day Out!

18

In this article, we continue to follow theMercer Museum’s construction, rapidly

progressing one hundred years ago thiswinter. Construction activity in the fall of1914, resulted in the completion of the orig-inal museum library. At that point, Mercerreported that the entire cost of the buildingproject had amounted to $13,700 to date.

Cold weather in the winter of 1915caused Mercer and his workmen to moveinside and focus on some of the smallerdetails necessary to the building’scompletion. This included the casting ofconcrete window sashes. In an entry in hisconstruction notebook dated February 27,1915, Mercer wrote that the “cementwindows are all done today – about 300 ofthem.” The windows were cast on theground in plaster molds, with clay andwooden inserts to achieve the appearancehe desired. Eventually, the sashes wereraised into position in each windowopening, and mortared into place.

Mercer noted, too, that his workmenwere busy over the winter producing bothstationary and “portable” bookshelves forthe library and archives rooms. Of course,Mercer’s bookshelves were also ofconcrete, dedicated as he was to ensuringthat few combustible materials – likewood – were used in his new museum. Forthe four-sided portable bookshelves, hedeveloped a special mold using both an

inner and outer form, a design he sketchedand labeled in his notebook. The shelveswere reinforced with “wire farm fence” togive them more strength.

Proud of his process for casting bothwindow sashes and shelves, Mercernoted that only one bookcase was ruined in extracting it from its form, andjust one window was broken “trying to

pull it out of ice” — evidently on a verycold winter day.

With the coming of spring, Merceragain turned his attention to the building’sexterior, as the walls of the museum rosenearly to their finished height. In hisnotebook, he recorded that his gasoline-powered concrete mixer was “runningwell,” and workers were going throughabout forty bags of cement each day. ByMay 19, the roof over the center portion ofthe building was “nearly cast.”

Digressing at first to note that localcherries “were not ripe yet,” Mercer thenspent several entries in June describing thecasting of dormers, the completion of“Rollo’s Stairs,” finishing of the steps tothe “stove room,” and the construction ofchimneys in the east gable. Finally, henoted that the “date mould [was] set in thewall of the SW room.” There are actuallythree locations where Mercer’s handprintand date appear on the building – two onthe exterior and one in an interior room. Itis not clear which spot Mercer referred toas the “southwest” room, but his decisionto apply the date, “1915,” to his structurethat summer meant that the museum wasgetting very close to completion.

As we continue to celebrate the museum’scentennial, future issues of this newsletterwill chronicle the building’s progress throughthe remainder of 1915 and into 1916. ■

One Hundred Years of the Mercer Museum, 1915-2015

MERCERMUSEUM UNDERCONSTRUCTION.

Photo byGeneva Clay,1915. With noleaves on the

trees, and onlysome of the

concretewindows raisedinto place, this

image waslikely taken inthe late winter,

1915.

HCM DATE MOULD WITH HAND PRINT.Mercer Museum, 1914.

DESIGN OF FORM FOR CASTING PORTABLEBOOKSHELF. Henry C. Mercer, “Notebook for the

First Plans of New Museum for the HistoricalSociety of Bucks County,” 1910-1916.

Exhibits at the Mercer Museum: Martin & Warwick Foundation GalleriesHouse & Home January 24 – March 15

Re-Discovering Bucks County Fraktur: Recent AcquisitionsFebruary 14 – April 1

House & Home Programming

Green Houses, Homes and Headquarters: A Regional ShowcaseSaturday, January 31, 1 p.m.

A Tale of Two Suburbs: The Battle for the Future of Suburbia in Bucks County’s Levittown and Concord Park Sunday, February 22, 2 p.m.

Youth Program: Lenape Home LifeSaturday, February 28, 12:30-2 p.m.

Renovate, Re-model, Re-construct:Local Home MakeoversSaturday, March 14, 1 p.m.

More Mercer ProgramsAfrican-American History MonthProgram: Searching for the Life ofHarriet HemingsSunday, February 8, 2 p.m.Villanova University scholar, CatherineKerrison, traces the childhood and travels of Harriet Hemings, believed tobe one of the offspring of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings.In collaboration with the African-American Museum of Bucks County.

Foodways of Lincoln’s TimeMonday, February 16, Noon – 4 p.m.Mercer Museum Log House

20th Annual Dolls’ Day OutSaturday, March 7, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.$15/$12 members. Groups of ten or more, $13 per ticket.

A Photo Tour of Antarctica: Friendsof the BCHS Quarterly MeetingMonday, March 16, 12:30 p.m.

Genealogy Program: What You Always Wanted to Know About Fraktur, but Were Afraid to AskSunday, March 22, 2-3:30 p.m.

Programs at FonthillTower Tour for FamiliesSaturdays: Feb. 7 & March 710:30 a.m. & 11:45 a.m.$12 adults/ $6 youth; $7 member adults/$3 member youth

Mustache MondayMonday, February 16, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Behind the Scenes ToursSaturday, March 286:30-9 p.m.$15/$12 members

Save The Date…2015 Mercer LegacySweepstakes Drawing Party Sunday, May 3, 4-6 p.m.Grounds of Fonthill Castle $100 per entry

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Mercer Museum & Museum Shop84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, PA 18901-4930PHONE: 215-345-0210 FAX: 215-230-0823HOURS: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday, noon–5 p.m.Also at the Mercer Museum: Research Library

HOURS: Tuesday-Thursday, 1–5 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Fonthill CastleEast Court Street & Route 313, Doylestown, PA 18901-4930 PHONE: 215-348-9461 FAX: 215-348-9462HOURS: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday, noon–5 p.m. (Guided tours only; reservations suggested)Members receive unlimited free admission to Mercer Museum and Library & Fonthill Castle.

Newsletter Gayle Shupack, EditorMolly Lowell, Associate Editor

Newsletter is a benefit of membership.

The Mercer Museum and Library & Fonthill Castle are administered by the Bucks County Historical Society.

General Information Check out our website at www.mercermuseum.org

Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle 2015 Winter-Spring Calendar of Event

www.mercermuseum.org

2015 BCHS Board of Trustees

BCHS 2015 OfficersBoard Chair William D. Maeglin

Vice-Chair John R. AugenblickVice-Chair Richard D. Paynton, Jr.

Treasurer Michelle Pedersen Secretary John R. Augenblick

Past Chair Brian R. McLeod

Board of Trustees

Summer Internship ProgramWe are currently accepting applications for our Summer Internship Program.

Are you a college student looking for a unique and educational experience? TheMercer Museum & Fonthill Castle internship program is intended for studentswho value the importance of preserving the past and sharing this passion byengaging and educating the community. Applications can be found on our websiteand should be submitted via email to Sara Good, sgood@mercermuseum.org, orby mail. The deadline is April 1.

Debbie AndrewsJohn R. Augenblick

Melissa V. BondMaureen CarltonHeather CevascoSusan E. FisherDavid L. FrankeGrover J. Friend

Elizabeth H. GemmillLinda B. Hodgdon

Susan KaneTimothy D. KatsiffWilliam D. Maeglin

John N. MauroBrian R. McLeod

Bud NewmanBrian Partyka

Richard D. Paynton, Jr.Kevin S. Pitman, Jr.Michelle Pedersen Gustavo I. PereaStephen Raab

Michael B. RaphaelJonathan J. ReissKathleen Schea

William R. Schutt Tom Thomas

Anthony S. VolpeDavid Wickman

NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DDOYLESTOWN, PA

PERMIT NO. 27484 S. Pine StreetDoylestown, PA 18901

View online tours of the

castles on our website at

www.mercermuseum.org or

follow us on Facebook & Twitter.

Members visit Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle for FREE all year long!

Accredited by:

Well, let’sfigure it out

together bylooking ateach part…

It’s madeout of metal– tin, I thinkIs that a

door? – perhaps tosee inside its core?

Those handles arequite wide – I wonderthe reason why?

Look at the sides – doyou see those things?No, they are definitelynot wings!

The top looks like itshould have a cover –

maybe to keep something warm, like butter?Put these clues together and whad’ya got?

Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle... Unique Sites for your

Major Event, Business Meeting,and/or Special Gathering

With exclusive caterer, Memorable Affairs planning yourculinary selections, your event will surely be one to remember.To learn more about entertaining at the Mercer Museum,contact Eileen Shapiro, Special Events Coordinator ateshapiro@mercermuseum.org or 215-345-0210, ext 132. Forevents at Fonthill Castle, contact Edward Reidell, SiteAdministrator at ereidell@fonthillmuseum.org or 215-348-9461.

What the Heck is it?