Skip to Main Content

Fonthill Castle.
Fonthill Castle.

Fonthill, Concrete Castle Home

Field review by the editors.

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

The thought of living in a castle appealed to Henry Mercer. So when his rich aunt died in 1905 and left him money, he built one for himself. She didn't leave him that much money, so he built it out of concrete.

Mercer was a bachelor, had no architectural training, and he made up his castle-home, which he named Fonthill, as he went along. Its interior twists and turns, up and down, like a labyrinth, with 10 bathrooms, 18 fireplaces, 21 chimneys, and "at least" 32 sets of stairs, according to site manager Ed Reidell. "When I lead a tour, I tell everyone, 'Don't leave the tour! You could end up in ten different places.'"

Bathtub view of lovely tiles.
Bathtub view of lovely tiles.

Mercer earned money by making decorative -- sometimes ghoulish -- tiles. He had his best examples mortared into Fonthill's concrete walls and ceilings. Wealthy customers would get personal tours of the house, since Mercer hoped that someday they, too, would want to live in concrete castle-homes lined with his tiles. "The idea never caught on," said Ed.

(Mercer eventually used what he learned from building Fonthill to build his massive Mercer Museum).

Highlights of the house tour include a claustrophobic spiral staircase to one of its towers (named for one of Mercer's cherished dogs), lots of strange tiles, and a human skull given to Mercer by his sister "to remind him that time is short, be productive," according to Ed.

Time ran out for Mercer in 1930. His death bed is part of the tour, but he is not entombed in his castle walls. "He would have thought that would have been weird," said Ed.

Fonthill, Concrete Castle Home

Address:
152 E. Swamp Rd, Doylestown, PA
Directions:
Take US 202/E. State St. to the north side of Doylestown, then turn west onto Hwy 313/Swamp Rd. Drive one mile, pass Court St., then make the next left at the sign for the Moravian Tile Works and Fonthill. Park in the lot to the left, then walk straight ahead to Fonthill, which is hidden from the road.
Hours:
M-Sa 10-5, Su 12-5 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
215-348-9461
Admission:
Adults $15.
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Mercer Museum: Concrete CastleMercer Museum: Concrete Castle, Doylestown, PA - < 1 mi.
Kids' Castle - Playground CastleKids' Castle - Playground Castle, Doylestown, PA - 3 mi.
Ronald Reagan Eats Invisible Potato PancakeRonald Reagan Eats Invisible Potato Pancake, Doylestown, PA - 3 mi.
In the region:
American Treasure Tour, Oaks, PA - 22 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in Pennsylvania

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Pennsylvania.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Create and Save Your Own Crazy Road Trip! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Pennsylvania Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

JFK's World Famous Twine Ball, Highland, Wisconsin (Mar 18-24, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings