A Concrete Castle Full of Hand Tools
Henry Mercer built six stories of concrete around a collection of the tools and equipment people used before factory production became commonplace.
Boats, carriages, and fire engines hang inside the Mercer Museum’s central court. Around them are thousands of tools and household objects, arranged through a six-story concrete building in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Collecting Working Equipment
Henry Chapman Mercer was interested in the objects people used to earn a living and run a household. As factory-made goods and machinery replaced older methods, he collected the equipment of trades that were disappearing or changing.
These objects were not always small enough for cabinets. A collection of work required room for vehicles, large implements, and the apparatus of entire occupations. Mercer’s response was to design a building around the things he wanted to preserve.
The museum grouped equipment by the work it was used to do, bringing together material associated with dozens of trades and everyday activities.
Building Around the Collection
Construction took place in the years before the museum opened in 1916. Mercer designed the building himself, using poured concrete for its walls, floors, and other major elements. The material provided substantial protection against fire, a serious concern for a collection containing so much wood.
Its exterior resembles a castle, with towers and irregular rooflines. Inside, the central court gives larger objects space to hang overhead, while surrounding levels hold smaller exhibits. Looking upward reveals equipment that would take up a considerable amount of floor area in a conventional display.
The building was part of a larger group of concrete structures Mercer created in Doylestown, including his home, Fonthill, and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. Fonthill was his residence, while the museum housed the tools and equipment.
The original collection remains central to a visit. Modern exhibition space has been added, but Mercer’s building still contains the dense arrangement of tools, vehicles, and household equipment that shaped it. Large objects remain suspended in the central court, visible from several floors as visitors move around the collection.
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Sources & photograph
Adapted from the Hidden Here story catalog. Explore the historical records behind this story.
