Title: 124.2-94: The Mercer Mile Buildings (Reapproved 1999)

Author(s): ACI Committee 124

Publication: Technical Documents

Volume:

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 12

Keywords: architectural concrete

DOI:

Date: 1/1/1994

Abstract:
The Mercer Mile consists of three historic concrete buildings within a mile (1.6 km) of each other, built by Henry Chapman Mercer near Doylestown, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The first to be built, starting in 1908, was Fonthill, Mercer's 44-room mansion. The second, the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, was and is a factory producing ornamental tiles for archi-tectural and other purposes. The last and largest structure, completed in 1916, was the Mercer Museum, built to house Mercer's collection of more than 30,000 tools and objects from Early American and Native American society. The collection totals 50,000 objects today. Mercer acted as both architect and builder and his unique plans and bold construction tech-niques made him a pioneer in the use of concrete. Built-in concrete furni-ture, concrete window mullions, and concrete roofs and dovecotes are but a few of the remarkable details that Mercer incorporated. The published report includes two sets of 20 photographs each; the first covers Fonthill, Mercer's home; the second covers both the tile works and museum.