Moravian Pottery & Tile Works

Interesting site with a self guided tour that begins every half hour. Admission is $ 5/​adults and $ 3 for kids over 7. Mercer’s devotion to Pennsylvania culture and the arts and crafts movement make an interesting combination.

The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works is an interesting and intriguing place. The building looks out of place in the landscape, almost like something you’d see in a fantasy movie. As you enter, you see that some of the tiles manufactured there are used in the walls of the walkway.
The museum has a shop that offers tiles that were made by the artisans at the site. They are all reproductions of tiles that were originally made when the Tile Works were originally functioning. There is a wide variety of styles and they are affordably priced for a hand crafted item.
The reason my rating is only three star is the attitude and lack of helpfulness from the staff. I had asked a question about one of the tile patterns and was given attitude about the fact that I asked. At the back of the shop, there is an area where you can create your own work using the tiles, letters, borders, etc. I asked the clerk how it worked and you could tell she couldn’t be bothered. The signs were not very clear and I was asking for an approximate piece if I purchased the piece I had laid out. She would not give me a straight answer and you could tell she did not want to do the work that was associated with this special order project. Upon checking out, the service was not any friendlier and she reminded us twice that the shop was closing in five minutes. This reminder came as we were AT the checkout in the process of checking out.
If you are in the area and looking for something that is unique to the region, do make a stop here. Just don’t expect to be served with a smile by those staffing the shop.

This place is a must-​see if you’re looking for something different to do north of Philly. Check out the «castle» (Fonthill) and the Pottery & Tile Works.
On the Fonthill tour, you’ll learn all about Henry Chapman Mercer — an interesting guy living off his aunt’s money and doing all sorts of crazy things. He collected tiles and made his own, and built a gigantic concrete castle. I’ve been twice, and each tour was fascinating and reflected the interests of my tour guides. You do have to stay with the group, and you might get scolded for straying too far behind.
The Tile Works is more hands-​on, allowing you to touch and move at your own pace. Some of the tiles are produced in groups to make large mosaics and tell stories.

Next door to Fonthill, this place was built by Henry Mercer to manufacture many of the tiles displayed next door. There’s a video to watch, then a self-​guided tour. All concrete, it’s still operational and you can talk to the craftspeople. Worth a visit, especially if you’ve been to the other Mercer sites.

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.

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.