Europeans, of course, scoff. As do the Far Easterners with their Great Walls and Taj Mahals. The U.S. just can’t compete; we built our castles too late. Humanity had moved on from egotistical monarchs with unlimited power over the little people who in turn give their lives and backs in the service of their overlords.
The Industrial Revolution brought education for all and the little people soon developed a healthy cynicism. They started asking questions like “Why can’t I have some of that pie?” And so the pie was shared. Sort of. At any rate, gone were the despots of old that had the resources to build ostentatious architectural beasts. The U.S. was just getting started at that point.
But we work with what we have. Military surplus magnates, California wine barons, and others of that ilk fill in for old world tyrants bent on a legacy. They’re not as powerful as Louis XIV with his Versailles or Zhu Di with his Forbidden City. Those folks had access to untold numbers of expendable peasants. Vanderbilt types are required to pay their minions. And in modern times the laws no longer allow beating one’s workers into submission. It’s just too hard to get good help now.
Therefore American palaces impress, but not by old world standards. According to Wikipedia there are 150 in the U.S. The entry for Italy alone has about 500. To be fair, builders-of-things across the pond have been around longer so have had more time to erect their castles. The things that make the list in the U.S. are often scaled down versions from the old world which work well as B&Bs. Compare that to Europe’s big-assed accommodations.
Just the same, I’m proud of our castles. They are things of beauty. I recently visited Fonthill in Doylestown, PA. This massive house of cement was conceived and built by one Henry Mercer. Mercer made his money the old-fashioned way: he was born into it. Regardless, he worked hard in his tile factory and did well way beyond his inheritance.
Mercer was inspired by the many trips he took to Europe and parts further east and the architecture and artwork he found there. He created what are known as Mercer tiles which adorn PA’s beautiful capital in Harrisburg. (Side note: Ever notice state capitals are in cities no one has ever heard of? Lansing, Michigan instead of Detroit; Albany, New York instead of NYC ; Pierre instead of Sturgis, South Dakota.) The Mercer tiles in Harrisburg are a stunning glazed red, with lovely pictures on some of them.
Fonthill Castle is almost entirely encased in Mercer tiles. The place is gaudy and fascinating, with amazing detailed work. I could definitely live there, but visitors get only an hour to go through the rooms which is not enough time. You’d need about 15 one-hour tours to see all that tile, let alone the nooks and crannies that lead to tiny bedrooms, nicely-stocked libraries and naturally lit studies. It’s like a fairy land or a Robin Hood movie. They do have certain times when you can go and lurk in corners without benefit of a tour guide but those times are rare.
Mercer may have inherited his money but he worked tirelessly with the energy of a monarch bent on legacy. Kudos to him for his work; we are all beneficiaries of his creative genius.
Do stop by when you’re in the neighborhood. I hear his museum, about a mile away, is also a masterpiece; and there’s the working tile factory right next door if you can’t get enough in the mansion.
Got stories of castles that you’ve visited? Did you stay overnight? See a ghost? Tell me about it.
— Sue Lange, author WE, ROBOTS
Lange Unfocused 