By Imani Walker and Dacare Smith /Full360 Reporters

The Mercer Museum is a historical artifact of Bucks County.

Built by Henry Mercer between 1913 and 1916, it serves as a chest for Mercer’s collected treasure. Its design was handcrafted by Mercer from the concrete exterior down to the way the artifacts hang interiorly.

Henry Mercer was an American Archeologist, tile-maker, artifact collector, and designer during the early 1900s. He took interest in how life was before the industrial revolution and spent much of his time collecting artifacts

1. History

The building itself is a 6-story exhibit resembling a castle from the outside. Once you venture in, it opens into a cathedral of sorts. There were no blueprints used in the building process. Everything, down to the roof, was made from mixed concrete. Henry Mercer took inspiration from many different styles and incorporated Medieval, Gothic, and Byzantine styles into the building.

2. Autographs

The Museum sports two different autographs of it’s designers. One being Henry Chapman Mercer himself, and the second being his beloved dog Rollo. While Mercer signed and handprinted his work, he ensured to include his dog’s very own staircase proclaimed “Rollo’s Stairs” with Rollo’s pawprints traveling up the side of the staircase from the fifth into the sixth floor.

3. Irony and Message

All of the artifacts in the Museum are placed intentionally to relay a feeling, a message, or to send the viewer back in time to when that artifact would have been used. One of these is his choice to place his “Crime and Punishment” exhibit next to his “Education” exhibit. The irony of placing an exhibit depicting death next to where children learn seems like it should be a mistake; however, Mercer wanted to relay that there are two paths in life and the viewer chooses which one to follow. To further elaborate his point, Mercer arranged these rooms in such a way that one may walk under an execution gally, allow a feeling of dread washes over, then to view the education room. The room closed off allowing no entry.

4. A View of the Ages

Peering up at the roof, a glimpse of another century’s arcade can be viewed. Mercer took inspiration from the arcades in European cathedrals. His experience goes as far back as 14, then with a relative in Italy it wasn’t hard to store the majestic architecture in his mind for later use. He had also worked with the University of PA as a curator to do expeditions in Europe.

5. Tilework

Along with his many talents, Mercer was a tilemaker. Tiles continuing the stories of the exhibits can be seen throughout the museum. Each tile different but connected to the next. In one particular room, the stove plate gallery showcases quite a few of them. These tiles dedicated to the designs Mercer found on the stove tops. He highlights them, giving tilemakers of the past their own spotlight.

6. Winding Staircases

Multiple paths are offered throughout the museum to travel to the multiple exhibits. Each staircase is different from the next. Some smaller, some wider, others curvier, and some require careful calculation to avoid accidental falls. Mercer loved asymmetry as seen in his staircases and his windows.

7. Asymmetric Architecture

Mercer valued asymmetry. Even within the same room, there are rarely two windows alike. Most change in size, dimension, shape, and location. Uniqueness is a common theme throughout the museum that is portrayed in even the smallest ways. There is never just one perspective to view, always more to dive into.

8.Displaying Artifacts

Each exhibit reflects its purpose in its time in history. Mercer wanted them to be viewed ready to use. Artifacts are placed carefully to mimic a frozen place in time as if each person could imagine themselves as blacksmiths, tilemakers, students, and so much more.

9. Strange Slopes

Strolling through the museum, this space might seem out of place. Its history is not as planned as the rest of the building. This room that was built over the original roof to accommodate more acquired artifacts. The window in the top left was built to compliment the window built on the planned roof in order to peer into the famous hanging artifact exhibit below.

10. Hanging artifacts

In his cathedral, multiple artifacts can be found hanging in various locations and in various angles. Perspectives that may never have been viewed before are highlighted and displayed. The underside of a boat, a carriage, woven baskets, etc. All pieces of history put in a light to give credit to master artists who created them. Their last eternal show.