00:08Hello and welcome back to another exciting episode. Today we are at Vaughn Hill Castle,
00:13so come along with us and see what we can see. Yes!
00:19Take the next right, then you will arrive at your destination.
00:22I will tell you, the entrance to the facility will sneak up on you very quick, so pay attention.
00:28As a marker, there is a house right across the street from the entrance point.
00:33And you drive down to where there's a Y. You can go either right or left. Go left.
00:39If you go right, that's a whole other facility. We'll tell you all about that in a future episode, so
00:45stay tuned for that.
00:47As you see, there is ample parking. So just find a parking spot. Get out.
00:54You'll see a sign to Vaughn Hill Castle.
00:58And by the way, they are closed on Monday, so take note.
01:01Kind of walk down this long driveway, where if you're handicapped, at least the time we were there,
01:08you can drive that person up to the check-in area and then go back and park.
01:14Hopefully they'll still have that courtesy when you go.
01:19Just before you get to the castle, there is this little outbuilding thing, so to speak.
01:26That's where you do your check-in, and I'll talk to you about how much it costs and the tour
01:33and all that in just a little bit.
01:35But if you're curious about what the backside of this place looks like, just like we did, here it is.
01:44Now going into the check-in area, that is where you can buy your tickets.
01:48They're about $20 per person, at least at the time that we went there.
01:53Although they highly suggest that you buy the tickets online before you get there.
01:57There's kind of a little mini-museum that you can look at while you wait for the tour to begin.
02:04Be patient.
02:06Eventually, the number of the tour is called.
02:09Then you just simply walk outside.
02:12Form up in front of the castle.
02:15Oh, by the way, this is the original entrance to the castle.
02:18To preserve those original doors, they do not go in and out.
02:22At that entrance, they go through another one, as you'll see in a moment.
02:27Your tour guide will give you a general overview of the castle and its history.
02:32It's pretty much the same thing they have on their website in print literature, which I will share with you.
02:38The tour guide will then take you inside and escort you through the castle.
02:43And once you walk through those doors, oh my goodness, you will instantly see how incredible this place is.
02:52And this is only the beginning.
02:55There's tiles and art and architectural oddities all over the place.
03:00Your head is like on a swivel.
03:03It's, like I said at the beginning, it's incredible.
03:07This video really does it do it justice, but hopefully, I can give you a really good taste of what
03:13to expect.
03:14Before giving you information about the castle and the history, there is some things I do have to go over
03:21real quick with you.
03:22The castle grounds, again, at least at the time that we visited, were open from sunup to sundown.
03:31And the castle was open for tours Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
03:38But a pro tip, go online, search for Fonthill Castle, because you'll want to see if there's any special events
03:46going on the day you want to visit, because that could hinder the tour times.
03:51Also, at check-in, again, when we were there, the person said no videography inside the castle.
03:58You can only take photos.
04:15And don't worry, at the end of the video, I'll show you a little bit of the outside surrounding area.
04:30Because just the grounds itself has a lot of history.
04:34Now, according to their website and print literature, Fonthill Castle was built between 1908 and 1912, and was the home
04:45of archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramist, scholar, and antiquium, Mr. Henry Chapman Mercer.
04:58Now, Mercer built Fonthill Castle as his home and also as a showplace for his collection of tiles and prints.
05:08Now, Mr. Mercer, he was around from 1856 to 1930.
05:14Now, the castle serves as an early example of reinforced concrete, and it features 44 rooms, over 200 windows, and
05:3018 fireplaces.
05:32Now, Fonthill Castle's interior features Mercer's renowned, handcrafted ceramic tiles designed at the height of the arts and crafts movement.
05:45In fact, if you ever go to the Pennsylvania State Capitol in the rotunda, you will actually see tiles from
05:57Mr. Mercer.
05:58Obviously, Fonthill Castle is a historic site, a unique historic site, but a historic site.
06:08And it offers limited accessibility with steep stairs and narrow, uneven passages throughout the interior of the site, which you
06:18have already seen in this video.
06:20Now, this place is not recommended for those with limited mobility, issues with stairs, those who cannot stand for long
06:29periods of time, because, again, it does take about an hour to go through this.
06:34And it's definitely not good for those with concerns with small spaces like, you know, claustrophobia, because those hallways especially
06:45are very tight and constricting.
06:48And, of course, Fonthill Castle, the tours may not be suitable for younger children under the age of five, as,
06:58again, it does take a while to go through, and it may be challenging for the patients of toddlers.
07:04However, outside in the grounds, that's really neat around there, nice walking trails, and lots and lots to see out
07:13there.
07:13And, by the way, there is a special access tour that costs $50, which takes you in a much more
07:21in-depth tour.
07:22However, that one takes about 90 minutes to complete.
07:27The next things I'm going to be telling you, I'm telling you from memory from the tour.
07:32So, if I'm incorrect, please go ahead and put in the comments and correct me.
07:37Do it nicely, please.
07:39But, you can go ahead and correct me.
07:42I won't get upset.
07:43But, if I remember correctly, the interior of this building was originally painted in pastel colors.
07:52But, the age and sunlight have all but eradicated any hint of the former hues.
07:59Now, one room in the terrace pavilion, which is built on sites of the former Holmes barn, has a restored
08:08paint job so, you know, we can view the home's former glory, I guess you would call it.
08:15Now, the castle does contain built-in furniture and is embellished with decorative tiles, of course, made by Mercer at
08:24the height of the arts and crafts movement.
08:27Now, the castle is filled with an extensive collection of ceramics embedded in the concrete of the house, as well
08:36as other artifacts from Mercer's world travels, including, and this is something that was really cool that I saw, was
08:44the cuneiform tablets that were discovered in Mesopotamia, dating back to over 2,300 BCE.
08:53The home also contains around 1,000 prints from Mercer's extensive collection, as well as over 6,000 books, almost
09:04all of which were annotated by Mercer himself.
09:08Fonhill Castle was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and I think they said 1972.
09:16Again, correct me if I'm wrong in the comments.
09:18And it was later included in the National Historic Landmark District, along with the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works and
09:27Mercer Museum.
09:29Now, these three structures are the only poured-in-place concrete structures built by Mercer.
09:36The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works is located on the same property as Fonhill Castle.
09:45Now, remember when we drove in and I said, make a left, if you make a right, that's another building?
09:50Well, that is the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, which I will be doing a video on that a little
09:57bit later.
09:58The Mercer Museum is located about a mile away from Fonhill Castle.
10:03And, by happenstance, I will be doing a video on that as well.
10:08So stay tuned for those.
10:10And as a little side note, Fonhill Castle and the Mercer Museum are operated by the Bucks County Historical Society,
10:18whereas the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works is operated by the County of Bucks.
10:25A little bit of a difference, but not really that big of a difference as far as the way they're
10:30run.
10:30Throughout the year, community programs are held at Fonhill Castle as enrichment activities and fundraisers for the Bucks County Historical
10:41Society.
10:42These events have included things like the Winter Wonderland Tours, Shakespeare in the Park,
10:49Candlelight Holiday Tours, Tower Tours for Families, Mercer Night Tales,
10:58Behind the Scenes Tours, and a sort of set-up escape room experience.
11:06There's a lot of information that we were told, so you will have to go on the tour to learn
11:12those things.
11:13But for now, I'm just going to put a little bit of music in the background to show you the
11:18things that we saw,
11:20so you can enjoy it without me talking over top.
11:24So without further ado, here you go.
11:26You will see his afternoon desk with a typewriter at it.
12:07Here we go.
13:54And as promised, now I'm going to show you a little bit of the outside, but this Fonthill
14:02Castle Park Walk has a lot of history and a lot to see.
14:08So it's going to require a whole video by itself.
14:12But here's again is just a little bit of a taste test where you come across some very unique
14:19bridges that have one of a kind Mercer tiles.
14:24Some old side entrances, unique old outbuildings on the property, and other oddities here and
14:33there while you roam the trails and the property itself, and some fairy tale views of the castle.
14:42As a side note, this weather vane that has Lucy on it is actually the workhorse of the foreman
14:48who helped build Fonthill Castle.
14:52That was added a little bit later as a tribute to Lucy.
14:57Well, thank you for coming along with us, for reviewing Fonthill Castle, and as always, have a great day.
