Once Upon a Time

a Momentous Event changed all of history for at least a dozen people.

In a small celebratory trip in honor of the Momentous Event, the HM and I went to spend  a weekend in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.  Our one complaint had to do with the windy weather.  The relatively small borough itself could not be held responsible for the weather, of course.  Everything else was delightful.   The HM and I had a forty-six-year history of togetherness to go on.

Now, you may be scratching your head over our destination spot.  "WHAT is there with which to occupy one's time in Doylestown, Pennsylvania?" you may ask, Reader Dear.

In answer to your question, I'm here to tell you about an ex-resident of Doylestown,  and to show you how much he influenced our stay!

The gentleman (I'm calling him that though I have no idea of his gentlemanly nature, or lack of it) was Henry Mercer.  He was a very unique individual!  Henry has now passed on to other worlds, but he lived in Doylestown during the last half of the 1800's and the early years of the 1900's (died in his early seventies in the year of 1930.)  He never married, so had no wife and family to hold him back from his extensive hobbies, talents, and tendency for hoarding! He, in fact, was gifted by a wealthy aunt, which allowed him to indulge himself, which allowed him to build three buildings, which, in turn, allowed the HM and I to have an entertaining celebratory weekend in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

And the wealthy aunt can make all the difference for you, as well, Dear Viewer, if you chance to be in Doylestown, Pennsylvania!

Just take a look (one word of warning: I've got photos galore!  And not nearly enough, at that.)

The Mercer Museum

First, Henry built himself a castle as his home.  He built it from poured concrete, using only a plan he sketched out himself, no architectural  assistance.  Not too many years later he built a seven-story museum using the same method (poured concrete).  There were also tile-manufacturing buildings that he constructed with poured concrete  (tile-making was one of his most extensive and creative hobbies)*

*All three of these buildings are lavishly decorated with the tiles that he designed (many of the designs were inspired by the stove-plates he collected**)
**Cast-iron stove "plates" were the doors and sides of small wood or charcoal burning stoves used to heat homes prior to the nineteenth century (and the arrival of more modern heating systems).  When Henry came along, the stoves were being tossed out, had little to no value, and he took note of their interesting and varied designs and began collecting them.

Henry had Hundreds of Stove Plates

It's evident that Henry enjoyed collecting all kinds of things, Reader Dear!  As he got to be about the age that I, myself, have aged to right now, he had acquired a vast collection of tools and equipment (all from the pre-industrial era) and no heirs on which to foist them.  His brilliant idea, Reader Dear,  was to build a seven-story museum and fill it up!**

**Brilliant idea, indeed!  "It's just the thing!" I exclaimed to HM.  "We can  build a museum (maybe two stories would do) and fill it up! Letters, photographs, old artifacts handed down, hand-crafted items and just "stuff" in general!  Think how fascinating our museum will be to all those museum-goers a hundred years from now!"  (Can you believe it, Reader Dear, he merely laughed.)

If these photos from the museum, Viewer Dear, spark your interest, please watch out for the up-coming post entitled "Font Hill Castle" (It was built first, but viewed second by the HM and me).

*******************
(I pray Henry forgives me if
I've got any details that are
incorrect. I'm telling this
tale without notes)