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Moravian Pottery & Tile Works
Categories: Landmarks & Historical Buildings, Museums [Edit]
130 E Swamp RdDoylestown, PA 18901
(215) 345-6722
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
2 reviews for Moravian Pottery & Tile Works
I used to work at the Mercer Museum - as a summer day camp counselor and arts & crafts supervisor MANY, many years ago. I don't know if they run a kids sumer program here any mroe - but the one they used to have was great.
Anyhow, the Moravian Pottery & Tile works was built of steel reinforced concrete by Henry Chapman Mercer to erve as his workshop and still produces lots of gorgeous tiles to this day..
Kids and Adults can both learn from Mercer - either here or at his home, Fontill next door.
You can also get married on the grounds and it's a great place to have a picnic in the summer or fall.
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The Moravian Pottery & Tile Works is an excellent stop if you're visiting New Hope, PA or Lambertville, NJ. Especially if you combine it with a trip to the Fonthill Museum (basically right next door) and the Mercer Museum, also nearby.
All three fascinating places were designed and built by Henry Mercer, a wealthy, creative eccentric and champion of the Arts & Crafts Movement. It's probably best to see the Fonthill Museum before the Moravian Tile Works for the additional context, but it's not necessary.
(I haven't yet been to the Mercer Museum, but apparently, Henry Ford once said it was the only museum worth visiting in the U.S. It houses more than 40,000 artifacts from early American society.)
What's so amazing about tiles, you ask? I thought the same thing at first. Moravian is a living museum: The processes developed more than 100 years ago are still in use, largely unchanged, and the results are as unique now as then. Interesting historical tidbits pepper the self-guided tour: after watching a background video, guests can roam the building and visit with the tilemakers making new pieces. There's also a shop with a variety of styles and subjects.
By the time you leave, you can't help but wonder why Mercer isn't more well known. Then again, it's nice to have places like this that provide a few surprises and a change of pace from more traditional museums and galleries. Highly recommended.
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