Concrete Home Construction

Describing Henry Chapman Mercer's home, Fonthill, as a castle may be a misnomer. There is no surrounding wall or moat to keep out the unruly peasants or faraway invaders. Nonetheless, Fonthill is so full of treasures — of every conceivable kind — that anything less than "castle" seems inappropriate.

When Mercer began planning his home in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, in 1907, he was 51 years old. This Pennsylvania native had attended Harvard, had traveled the world pursuing his life-long interests in archeology and history, and had accumulated significant collections of artifacts. He was a leading Arts and Crafts movement tile maker. And he was an avid fan of concrete.

Concrete was Mercer's building material of choice because it was easily formed, fireproof and inexpensive. It also combined well with his famous mosaic tiles.