The Haunting of...Fonthill Museum, New Hope and The George School

It doesn't have to be October to experience some haunting activity around Bucks County.  Bucks County has alleged ghost activities in the most expected and unexpected places.  Let's begin with a story about a castle and its housekeeper.  If you are a ghost lover, you must read on.

Fonthill Museum

Fonthill Castle

Fonthill Museum may look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, a ghost is lurking through the halls.  As my previous blog post stated, once Henry Mercer passed on, he gave his entire estate to his housekeeper and her husband who lived in the castle.

Eye witnesses have described seeing an apparition walking through the halls that is believed to be Laura Swain, the old housekeeper who is now deceased. As the legend goes, Laura still goes about her daily housekeeping duties as if she is still alive.

Many workers and tour visitors throughout the years have seen Laura Swain walking along the barely lit hallways of the century-old castle.

Unfortunately, due to the delicacy of the castle, paranormal investigators are not allowed inside to do research.

So, if you want to experience a ghost, take one of the many daily tours offered at Fonthill. Maybe you will get lucky enough to see her doing her housekeeping duties.

Here is a video of the spooky exterior and some shots of the inside of the castle. Enter if you dare.

New Hope Ghost Tours

New Hope Ghost Tour Street

During the warmer months in New Hope, Bucks County, enjoy some haunted tales of historic New Hope.  Enjoy the cool September and October nights by participating in the lantern-led ghost tours. Walk along the streets at night while listening to ghastly tales about the phantom hitchhiker and the haunted Logan Inn.

Where does the tour begin? Intersection of Main Street and Ferry Street
When? June to the third weekend of November - tours meet every Saturday night
September and October only - tours meet every Friday and Saturday night as well as Halloween night
Time? All tours begin at 8:00pm
How much per person? $10.00
*All tours run rain or shine

The George School - Tate House

View picture here.

The George School is located in Newtown, Bucks County, and it is a prestigious day and boarding school.  The school is situated on a beautiful patch of land. However, with every patch of land comes its history, and not all of it is happy.

The Tate House is a building that is part of the school's campus, which now houses the teaching staff. This particular building was built in 1756 by a man named Anthony Tate.  Anthony had a son, James Tate, who eventually became a doctor.  James Tate inherited the house in 1781.

While the Revolutionary War was going on, legend has it that James Tate dug up the body of a Hessian soldier who was buried near his house (The Tate House). He had heard that the soldier died of a disease, and he wanted to get a closer look at his body. Not only did he get a closer look at his body, but he also dissected it.

Once he dug up the body, he carried it to his laboratory.  Once the dissection was complete, he buried the remaining parts. No, he didn't bury them back in the original grave. He dug a shallow grave in his own basement of the Tate House and buried the remains.

As the legend goes, whenever someone walks over the grave in the basement with a lighted candle, the flame will go out.  This even includes flashlights.

If you dare go to the basement in the dark, you may hear footsteps running up the basement stairs. Apparently, these are the footsteps of the soldier trying to escape the house.

Pretty spooky stories! If you must venture to these haunted places, I would suggest going with a group and not alone. You never know what you may or may not see.

Have You Ever Witnessed a Castle Made Completely Out of Concrete?

Fonthill Museum is a castle that was built entirely out of concrete by a man named Henry Mercer. Not only did Mercer build his house entirely out of concrete, but he also collected a multitude of items throughout his lifetime.  Do you love Moravian tiles? Fonthill is the place to visit to experience beautiful Moravian tiles and to see how exactly a house made entirely out of concrete is even possible.

Fonthill Museum 

Address:

East Court Street and Route 313
Doylestown, PA 18901

Hours:

Monday - Saturday: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Guided tours only
No photography allowed inside

Fonthill Museum

Fonthill Museum Backyard 

Fonthill was built during the years of 1908-1912 and was the home of Henry Mercer who was an archeologist, anthropologist, ceramist and a scholar.  Fonthill was built to showcase his collection of tiles/prints that he made himself during the American Arts and Crafts Movement and other tiles that he collected throughout his lifetime.  It was also the place he called home.

The big question is, why would he build his house entirely out of concrete? Well, Mercer had a fear of fire and his house burning down. To subdue his fear, he built his house out of concrete since it cannot catch on fire. His house was entirely designed by himself and has a Medieval, Gothic and Byzantine style to it.

When Mercer died in 1930, he left his estate to his housekeeper and her husband, named Laura and Frank Swain.  As stated in Mercer's will, he wanted his house to become a museum.  Laura Swain resided in the house and conducted tours until her death in 1975.

After her death, Fonthill became noticed as a historical museum by the Bucks County Historical Society.  As of today, Fonthill provides an assortment of guided tours that attract nearly 30,000 visitors per year.

One of my favorite events to enjoy at Fonthill Museum is its annual Fourth of July Celebration. Fonthill provides food, games, crafts and live entertainment.  Do you love watermelon? Participate in the watermelon eating contest as well as the tug-o-war and sack race during the festivities.

Partake in Fonthill's annual beer event that takes place in August. Here, you will find local food and beer to experience.  However, my favorite time to visit Fonthill is during the holiday season when all of the castle is festively decorated.  It is a can't miss time of the year at Fonthill Museum.

Fun Fact: Keep an eye out for some dog prints along the guided tour. Henry Mercer loved Golden Retrievers, and he even dedicated staircases to his beloved four-legged friends. It's safe to say that he was a Golden Retriever aficionado since he owned over twenty of them throughout his lifetime.

Tile Works

The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works is located on the same ground as Fonthill Museum. Today, handmade Moravian tiles are still created here.  Get up-close-and-personal with the tiles to see how they are created. The Tile Works also provides tile making workshops. The Tile Works building was also created by Mercer.

If you are interested in a three-day tile workshop, learn more here about the agenda and how to register.

Mercer Museum

Address:

84 South Pine Street
Doylestown, PA 18901

Hours:

Monday - Saturday: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Mercer Museum

The idea that Henry Mercer had for the Mercer Museum was for it to be a museum for a collection of handmade objects before they became obsolete before the Industrial Revolution was in full swing. The Mercer Museum was built in 1916 out of concrete and is six-stories tall.

Since Mercer was a historian and archeologist, he understood the impact the Industrial Revolution would have on all aspects of life.  So, Mercer collected 30,000 items that spanned from handmade tools to vehicles, and he placed all of the items he collected in an encyclopedia-type fashion in the Mercer Museum.

He wanted the museum to be a place to educate the public. What is so interesting about the Mercer Museum, besides the artifacts themselves, is the way Mercer meticulously classified each item in the museum so it would be like a library where you can easily find what you are looking for.

As of today, the collection is now at 40,000 objects and is seen by some 65,000 Mercer Museum visitors each year. Visiting the museum is a great way to take a look at what life was like during the 18th and 19th centuries.  With 55 exhibit rooms, there is plenty to see and read about while meandering through the six-story concrete museum.  

Keep the map of the Mercer Museum close with you throughout the tour so you see everything there is to see.

Do you want to experience Fonthill and the Mercer Museum virtually? Check out the virtual tour of both museums.

Don't forget to check out the calendar of events, permanent exhibits, online exhibits as well as the upcoming exhibits so you don't miss any of the family-friendly events throughout the year at Fonthill and the Mercer Museum.