Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle Offering Virtual Programs

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle has announced a new slate of virtual programs this spring designed to bring local history and the legacy of Henry Chapman Mercer and his renowned concrete castles to audiences in their own homes.

Throughout the months of March and April, virtual programs presented via Zoom will cover a variety of topics, including virtual tours of the Mercer Museum's prized Central Court, the inside of Fonthill Castle, Henry Mercer's legacy and personal story, family programs in a colonial-style log house and guest speakers covering local history.

“There has never been a more important time to utilize the power of technology to build community connections and transport art and culture from our museum halls into our visitors’ homes," said Marjan Shirzad, Vice President of Community Services & Marketing at Bucks County Historical Society, which runs the museum and castle. "These new virtual programs are designed to educate, inspire and delight. We are always looking for new ways to create meaningful cultural experiences, and are thrilled that virtual programming makes our castles more accessible than ever.”

A selection of these virtual programs and topics include:

Virtual Tour – Highlights of Central Court at the Mercer Museum
Various dates and times at mercermuseum.org/virtualprograms
$10 General Admission Virtual Connection per household/ Free Member Virtual Connection

Looking up from the heart of the Mercer Museum’s Central Court is an experience like no
other. Artifacts hanging from rafters and objects at every turn create a most unique sensory
experience. This 45-minute virtual experience features a 15-minute recorded tour of the
Mercer Museum’s Central Court, followed by an array of historic and current-day photographs
and a live virtual Q&A conversation with an experienced tour guide.

Virtual Tour – Highlights of Fonthill Castle
Various dates and times at mercermuseum.org/virtualprograms
$10 General Admission Virtual Connection per household/ Free Member Virtual Connection

Delight in the splendor of a virtual guided historic tour of Fonthill Castle in the heart of Doylestown. These 45-minute virtual experiences feature a 30-minute recorded guided journey through Henry Chapman Mercer’s home, followed by a live virtual Q&A conversation with an experienced tour guide.

Virtual Lecture – Henry Chapman Mercer: A Legacy Built in Concrete
Wednesdays: March 31 & April 28, 2021
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
$10 General Admission Virtual Connection per househol/$5 Member Virtual Connection per household

In this one-hour virtual multimedia program, Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle educators bring
the stories of Henry Mercer and his concrete castles to life through film clips, historic archives
and modern-day images. Located in Doylestown, Bucks County, PA, the Mercer Museum &
Fonthill Castle are two historic castles that celebrate the life and legacy of Henry Chapman
Mercer (1856-1930), American archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramicist and scholar.
A live discussion following the presentation brings the magic of Henry Mercer’s vision right into
your home and is perfect for history lovers of all ages.

Friends of BCHS– Virtual Lecture: The Private Henry Mercer
Monday, March 15, 2021
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Free for all – Advanced online registration required.

This multimedia presentation by BCHS Vice President of Collections and Interpretation Cory
Amsler touches on some of the lesser-known aspects of Henry Mercer's daily life at Fonthill
Castle - his intimate and personal relationships, his interactions with household staff, his
political and social positions, and his private concerns and passions.

Virtual Family Program – Colonial Farm Experience
Fridays: March 12 & April 23, 2021
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
$10 General Admission Virtual Connection per household/$5 Member Virtual Connection per household

Have you ever wondered what it was like to live in a log house? Explore the daily life of colonial
farmers with Mercer Museum educators during this virtual family program. Learn about the
well pump, colonial games and toys, churning butter, and more! These 60-minute virtual experiences feature a 45-minute recorded journey in a colonial log house, followed by a live virtual Q&A conversation with Mercer Museum educators that is fun for the whole family.

Virtual Family Program – Meet the Makers: Bartering in Colonial Times
Fridays: March 19 & April 16, 2021
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
$10 General Admission Virtual Connection per household/$5 Member Virtual Connection per household

Join a Colonial shoemaker and the owner of a general store and learn how people in early
America bartered for the household objects they needed to survive. See how they made shoes,
tin-punch lanterns, iron nails and so much more in this 45-minute virtual experience, followed
by a live virtual Q&A conversation with expert educators.

Virtual Lecture – Postcards of Bucks County: The Complete Arnold Brothers Series
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
$10 General Admission Virtual Connection per household/$5 Member Virtual Connection per household

Back by popular demand, join the Mercer Museum for this exclusive virtual lecture with Chase Palmer, author of the book Postcards of Bucks County: The Complete Arnold Brothers Series. Explore the history of Bucks County and its landmarks through early postcards of images taken by the Arnold Brothers from the late 1890s through the turn of the 20th century. Learn about the history of this postcard series as well as the “unpublished Arnold negatives,” roughly 400 image negatives preserved in the archives of the Bucks County Historical Society. Chase Palmer’s new book builds on Betty Davis’s work Postcards of Bucks County, published in 1980, and features 248 Arnold Brothers postcards along with contemporary location photos from 1980 and today. This new presentation recounts the story of the Arnold Brothers, their Bucks County businesses, and much more. Signed copies of Chase Palmer’s book will be available at the Mercer Museum Shop, open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday.

For more information on the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle’s upcoming virtual programs, visit mercermuseum.org/virtualprograms.

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