Cultured Pearls

Doylestown museums add new luster to Bucks landmarks.
By Gordon Hesse

Like pearls that increase in size and beauty as they mature, the venerable Mercer Museum and its younger Cultural District neighbor, the James A. Michener Art Museum, are growing and maturing with expansions, updates and innovative, interactive presentations—all improvements to provide incentives to visit for those from near and far.

Mercer Museum Expands
Not since Henry Mercer’s concrete castle began to take form against the Doylestown skyline has this area seen such growth.

In October 2006, Mercer Museum officials announced plans to expand and renovate. The original project is now about to become a 13,000 square-foot addition.

Like all good projects, it has grown,” says Douglas Dolan, Executive Director of the Bucks County Historical Society, steward for the Mercer and Fonthill (Mercer’s home).   “The goal grew as we had to deal with all we wanted to accomplish. When finished, the addition will co-exist nicely with the original building.”

A history major from the University of Delaware, Dolan takes spirited pride in his work at the Mercer as caretaker of an important slice of the region’s history. He has been with the museum since 1983.

This expansion project has been described as the Mercer Museum’s greatest undertaking since its 1916 inception by archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramist and scholar, Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930). He likely would be proud of the current stewardship, which maintains the integrity of the past, while incorporating elements of the present and future.

Henry Mercer’s Vision
The Mercer Museum evolved from Henry Mercer’s recognition in 1897 that handmade objects were being discarded in favor of new machine-made goods. Mercer saw the need to collect and preserve the materials of daily life in America before they were swept away by the Industrial Revolution. Over ensuing decades, he gathered an encyclopedic collection of 30,000 items, ranging from hand tools to horse-drawn vehicles. Mercer decided to share it with the public and designed and built a museum to display the artifacts.
In 1916, Mercer erected a six-story concrete castle, fashioned after those he had seen on tours of Europe. The largest objects, such as a whaling boat, stagecoach and Conestoga wagon, hang from the ceiling in the towering central atrium. On each level surrounding the court, smaller exhibits are displayed in alcoves, niches and rooms according to Mercer’s classifications—healing arts, tinsmithing, dairying, illumination and more.

Museum Gains Recognition
Mercer gave the collection and its contents to the Bucks County Historical Society, an organization he helped found in the 1880s to educate the public about the past while protecting it.
The museum has made major advances in collections management and care, bringing it in line with contemporary standards. In 1985, the Mercer Museum was recognized as a National Historic Landmark and accredited by the American Association of Museums in 2005.  More than 65,000 people come from around the world each year to visit the Mercer’s collection, the most complete of its kind in America, and a unique resource for museum professionals, technology scholars and tool collectors.

Adding new Capabilities
Nearly 15 years ago exterior restoration of the structure was done to counteract the effects of acid rain, prevent water penetration and stabilize the concrete. That project protected the collection and paved the way for future plans.

Last June, Dolan got the green light from Doylestown Borough for the construction.  The addition includes a Changing Exhibits Gallery and a 1,000 square foot Multi-Flex Learning Center with up-to-date audio-visual resources.

Fundraising efforts have been so successful that the campaign goal was exceeded, raising $12 million, aided by a $2 million gift as part of a matching Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program grant intended to invigorate the state’s economy.

“Green” Features are Part of the Design
The Philadelphia architectural firm of Voith & MacTavish has incorporated many “green” elements in the Mercer’s plans.  The largest of these is the Green Roof, one containing sedum, a living variety of vegetation.  The benefits of green roofs include rainwater retention, (reducing the requirement for drainage ponds), reduction of the surface temperature on hot sunny days, and noise insulation.

The rest of the addition includes energy-saving components such as water-conserving bathroom fixtures, radiant heat flooring, and recycled content wall panels in the new exhibit gallery. Improved parking will have permeable paving, reducing rain runoff.

“We’ll have 3,500 square feet for changing experiences,” Dolan says. “That compares with only 300 square feet now. We now have more than 50,000 artifacts and 250,000 items in the library and archives. We will be able to open a storehouse of treasures.”

The expansion groundbreaking is expected in mid-November 2009, with completion set for 2011.

Mercer’s Structures Named National Historic Landmarks
Henry Chapman Mercer was born and died in Doylestown, and was 52 years old when he began his one-man building boom that includes a legacy of three structures on the National Historic Landmark register.
Mercer traveled extensively throughout Europe, thanks to a devoted aunt, and studied law and ancient history. He graduated from Harvard and was curator of American and Pre-historic Archaeology at the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania from 1894 to 1897, and conducted site excavations in the Yucatan Peninsula and in the Delaware, Ohio and Tennessee River valleys.

In 1897, while searching for fireplace tools in a junk dealer’s barn, Mercer found a jumble of objects made obsolete by the Industrial Revolution. He realized these pre-1850 work-related implements might one day be prized findings of future archeologists. Mercer seized this opportunity to preserve the endangered artifacts and share them with others.
Mercer designed Fonthill, the first of the three structures he built in Doylestown, both as his home and a showplace for his collection of Moravian tiles and prints. An eclectic mix of Medieval, Gothic, and Byzantine architectural styles, the building is significant as an early example of poured reinforced concrete.

Completed in 1912, his Moravian Pottery and Tile Works produced tiles and mosaics for floors, walls and ceilings. Today the Tile Works is administered by the Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Michener Museum’s Growth Brings National Exhibits
In April 2007, Bruce Katsiff, director and CEO of the Michener Museum, announced a $10 million “James A. Michener Centennial Campaign” to fund critical capital improvements. The campaign kickoff came 100 years after author James Michener’s birth (1907-1997).

Katsiff points out that there were three major goals with Phase I of the capital campaign: build a gallery large enough for national touring exhibits; increase spaces for vital operational work including storage and transition areas; and upgrade the HVAC systems.

“When we made the announcement of the $10 million goal, we had already raised $4 million among board members,” says Katsiff.  Then a board member stepped in with a $600,000 challenge gift for the board, which was answered with another $400,000 matching challenge. In all, the board raised $5 million for the Michener expansion.

The multi-phase expansion has begun with a bi-level wing named after Syd and Sharon Martin, major donors for the expansion.  The Della Penna-Fernberger|Paton|Smith Gallery on the upper level will serve as home to major national touring exhibitions.

“We had 2,200 square-feet,” says Katsiff, “but most national tours require at least 5,000.  We now have 5,500 square feet in the new gallery. This will make it possible to bring in shows that feature both pop culture, like those seen at the Franklin Institute, as well as fine art, like the Philadelphia Art Museum. The Museum’s inaugural show after the first phase completion is Jim Henson’s Fantastic World – a Smithsonian traveling exhibition (open through November 29, 2009).

“What is unique is that in two to three hours people can see Michener exhibits, have a great meal right here at Max Hansen’s, eat in the sculpture garden and, at the end, not feel exhausted,” he adds.
The lower level expands what Katsiff calls “back of the house.”  This is the essential behind-the-scenes art storage space, exhibit preparation—formatting, framing, crating, etc.—and a covered loading dock for a tractor trailer. The new covered loading dock was put to good use right away: the Henson exhibit was delivered in 41 crates in a climate-controlled trailer. It also provides bathrooms and administrative offices.

Also not obvious is the new HVAC system with humidification controls and HEPA air filtration—all essential to art preservation.  Centralized chillers and boilers replaced those that were 20 years old and account for 25 percent of the project cost.

Among the new wings design features by architects at RMJM Hillier are 21 louvered solar light tubes that can be opened according to exhibits.
“We’ve had a terrific response with the Henson exhibit—double the usual attendance in the first ten days,” says a delighted Katsiff.  “We are seeing a younger audience and many first time visitors.

“The Michener is committed to underserved populations and provides free admission to all school visitors,” he says, noting that the building is owned by Bucks County and rented as a long-term leasehold to the museum. “In essence, the Michener is owned by the citizens of Bucks.”

Michener Art Museum’s Rapid Growth
The James A. Michener Art Museum was established in 1988 by community leaders to capture the artistic heritage of Bucks County. In its first year, 100 objects formed the foundation of the collection and 10,000 visited.
The rapid growth and success of the Michener’s programs, publications, exhibits and collections have surprised even ardent supporters. Through world-class exhibitions, distinguished scholarship and publications, and innovative educational activities, the museum, which is also accredited by the American Association of Museums, has become a force in the community.

Fifteen years ago I made what people thought was a wild claim: by 2000 we would have 100,000 visitors a year,” says Katsiff.  “Now we are averaging 135,000.”

The Michener also is no stranger to major renovations. In 1988, the Bucks County Prison was converted to the James A. Michener Arts Center. After an official name change to “Museum” in 1992, it underwent a $1.65 million renovation that more than doubled its size. Following the addition of a new wing named in honor of Michener’s wife, Mari Sabusawa Michener, it developed into the arts, learning and educational institution it is known as today with more than 25 educational and programming partnerships with school districts, universities and organizations.

For Phase II the patio area of the Patricia D. Pfundt Sculpture Garden will be covered with glass, creating indoor event space for both public and private events. The Ann and Herman Silverman Pavilion will be renovated into an education complex with two classrooms, a lecture space and a children’s gallery.

That expansion is in “pause mode” and is expected to cost more than $3 million.  “I hope we will begin Phase II before the end of 2010,” Katsiff says.

Michener Vital Statistics
Annual Attendance: 135,000 visitors
Members of the Museum: Over 12,000
Annual Web Visits: Over 850,000
Corporate and Business Members: Over 400
Average exhibitions per year: 15
Publications produced over the last five years: 11
Objects in the museum’s collection: 2,200 including:
490 paintings
316 drawings
228 pieces of sculpture
452 photographs
423 prints
77 mixed media

Stimulus for the Michener expansion came in April 2006, when Governor Ed Rendell provided the museum with a $3 million grant to preserve the arts and cultural heritage of Bucks County.

Both museum projects are complemented by the adjacent Bucks County Library Center and Doylestown’s $600,000 in Cultural District improvements, including two new landscaped gateways using Henry Mercer’s signature concrete and Moravian tile construction.  The streets are lined with Victorian-style street lighting, flowering trees, new sidewalks and brick crosswalks. The removal of overhead utilities in the district also provides expansive views of both museums.

The new face—and expanding offerings—of Doylestown’s Cultural District provides delights for visitors, both first-time and those who return again and again.

Mercer Museum
The Bucks County Historical Society / Mercer & Fonthill Museums
84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, PA
(215) 345-0210

http://www.mercermuseum.org

James A. Michener Art Museum
138 South Pine Street
Doylestown, PA
(215) 340-9800
www.michenermuseum.org

Gordon Hesse is a regional author & freelance writer (gordonh6@verizon.net).