Wow. What a unique, random gem and historic property. What is Fonthill and why is there a castle in…read moreDoylestown, Pennsylvania? Fonthill Castle was the home of archeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer. (Also in Doylestown are two more Mercer buildings you can tour - the Mercer Museum and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works building, the business Mercer ran and where most of the tiles in the castle were produced.) Henry Mercer seems like he was an interesting guy, and you can see that in his home - 44 rooms, 18 fireplaces, 200 windows, who knows how many staircases...! And designed and decorated in a way I've never seen anywhere else. The castle is an early example of poured-in-place concrete building and is a mix of Medieval, Gothic, and Byzantine architectural styles. And there are, of course, Moravia tiles (and some historic and international tiles that he collected during his life) throughout the house - almost more than you could imagine. We visited last Saturday to experience their "Fonthill Castle Holiday Lights Meander Experience," which allows you to visit the castle through a self-guided experience (there were staff in various rooms who were happy to answer questions) and enjoy a series of Christmas trees on display throughout the home. I definitely enjoyed the experience but am definitely planning a return visit to see the castle in better light (not at night in the dark - which was perfect for the Christmas tree experience) - they offer 60-minute guided tours though the house for most of the year! The castle is pretty wild, and I look forward to visiting it again and experiencing it in a new way. If you are interested in architecture, art, crafts, the Arts and Crafts design movement, or just quirky, unusual places, definitely add Fonthill to your list and check it out!

Amazing property, it is a hidden gem. Went with my family for the tour and everyone enjoyed it!read more

While the mansion is still undergoing renovations so we were not able to include that and so my…read morereview may change in the future. Don't expect to take even a full afternoon visiting but it is a lovely preserved estate around the city. There's some goats, and the grounds are enjoyable to take an hour or so to walk with nice historical signs for context. There is some parking but it likely gets packed in high traffic times. I can't put it in my top gardens available for Philadelphia, it's good to have treasures like these to keep the sense of history and love of horticulture the area has long held.

This is a really cute hidden local treasure - very charming and pretty. We had some wedding photos…read moretaken here, so it will always have a special place in our hearts! Lots of cool spots outside for photos, and the inside is really cute as well. I'm not sure they usually open the house, but the grounds are very nice to walk around. We stopped by again recently and had some time to reminisce before heading out because it was too cold.

Great views of the area from atop the mountain. Didn't go inside the pagoda because it was closed…read morewhen we arrived on our unplanned visit. The only thing I disliked (hated) about the visit was the amount of litter and trash in the woods and area surrounding the pagoda. Come on, folks! :( If in Reading or nearby, check it out!

On this cloudy day, the winding drive up to the pagoda was still enjoyable and worth the trip…read more It was disappointing that pagoda itself is closed to the public. You cannot walk on it or around it. Additionally the surrounding trails are closed and locked. While the area could use some restoration but it's still so worth visiting! Seems like a missed tourist opportunity for Reading. Regardless the view from it, even on a crummy weather day, is still spectacular. Take the drive up, you'll be glad you did!

Paper Mill House (ca.1770) is a township museum located in the same building as the Newtown Square…read moreHistorical Society's offices, but note that they are separate entities. The Paper Mill House allows visitation to its display rooms during open hours, while the Historical Society is by appointment, and is another part of the building. The Paper Mill House Museum is only open Sundays 1-4 PM in July and August. Admission to the museum is free, although donations are appreciated. There is a rep from the Historical Society there to answer questions, but you tour the display yourself. Paper Mill House was originally a residence for local mill workers. The building was restored in the '80s and is now set up as Colonial-era rooms, such as a colonial kitchen, parlor, bedroom, and 19th century general store. On the 2nd floor there are local history exhibits. The rest of the museum is offices and conference room for the Historical Society. There are 4.5 acres of grounds, including a neat wood plank bridge over a stream. The museum building itself is close on the corner of Paper Mill Rd. and St. Davids Rd., but, though the address is Paper Mill Rd., note that the gravel parking lot is off of St. Davids Rd.

Very interesting place to find out about local historical figures, and the facts of life back then…read more Though we've seen lot's of historic houses, but still discovered for ourselves something we didn't know before. Too bad not much of information about this place on the internet, but we were very glad to discover it and recommend it to everyone loving the history of this country.

This place never disappoints! You need to go back each season to appreciate the changing landscape…read moreand step back in time!

What a fantastic piece of history, go, stop and read the plaques and take pictures. What an amazing…read morepiece of history

Well maintained space without signs of overt modernization make this place a worthwhile…read moreexploration. Industrial relics exhibit excellent decay and are easily accessible. Short walking trail takes you through the greenspace pebbled with old structures, into small wooded areas, over a bisecting stream, and along forgotten rail tracks. Quiet, and surrounded by development though you wouldn't know it.

If Erin Downing is assigned as your support hearing officer, be prepared to have your rights…read moredisregarded. She routinely hears arguments and issues orders on matters that fall well outside the legal scope of authority the state grants a hearing officer -- including sanctions and challenges to her own rulings. She will rule on petitions and motions that are directed to the judge and that contest her own orders. The double standard is blatant. After the court unilaterally continued a hearing date, I requested a continuance for a documented work conflict and provided the HR contact she asked for. She denied it without hesitation and told me to appear or she would rule in my absence. The opposing party, by contrast, was a complete no-show with no advance notice -- and was granted an on-the-spot continuance with zero consequences. Most alarming: she accepted tax documents from the opposing party that were stamped with a "DEMO" watermark across every page and entered them into the record as that party's actual income -- even after I challenged them on the record as fraudulent. Expect bias in her recommendations and orders. Expect to end up in every exceptions and appeals proceeding available before you're done. Based on her conduct and standard of ethics, she should not hold this position.

I have been a member of both the Philadelphia and Chester County Bar Associations and I have to say…read morethat even though Chester County's Bar Association is smaller, it is just as relevant and maybe even a little more helpful (just my opinion). I love the CLE offerings and have been impressed with how friendly and professional most of the attorneys are. I have attended several section meetings in different areas of the law and I have always been made to feel welcome and have always learned something new. I also like the Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service. If you need a lawyer in Chester County, their Bar Association should be the first place you call. In my experience, the attorneys who are affiliated with the Chester County Bar Association are usually very experienced and very good at what they do (again, just my opinion).

I visited Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve this past Saturday when I was exploring New Hope for…read morethe day. It's a nature preserve and botanical garden with a lot of grounds to explore. It was busy on a warm Saturday afternoon, but there was plenty of parking on the road leading up to the Visitor Center. Then, after you've purchased your admission, you can wander their 12 or so trails that wind through five miles of the grounds. The highlights of my visit were the trails that ran along the creek, the stone bridge, and the new pond. In summer, it was a bit too hot for the wildflowers (I bet spring is incredible here), but it was green and wooded and beautiful. I spent a couple of hours exploring the grounds, and it was a great way/place to stretch my legs and take a break from town! If you like a trail, Bowman's Hill is a great place for that just minutes from the center of New Hope.

I saw my first hummingbird moth at Bowman's, so it'll always have a special place in my heart!!…read more For real, though, it's very nice here. The staff are friendly, they have periodic walks led by naturalists, and there are lots of pretty things to see: butterflies, frogs, birds, and lots of flora. The gift shop leaves a lot to be desired, but I guess that's not really the point of coming here, huh?

It's a historic landmark. The estate serves as kind of a museum. I remember coming here on a…read morefield trip when in middle school when I was studying the colonial period. There's plenty of parking. The park is open dusk until dawn. Entry to the house is free to children and students. They do beekeeping, blacksmithing and other activities.

Built in the late 1700's, Harriton House is a history geek's dream come true. The estate is well…read morepreserved, and the house impeccable. I've only been in the house once, while most of my trips are just stops on my power walks through the neighborhood. There is a detached root cellar with old fashioned firing ports facing out...just the thing to keep curious Indians away.

Came here as something to do with our kids. They had a blast. This is a pretty basic putt-putt…read moregolf. The courses aren't themed or anything. They offer a deal I believe it's for 3 games. It's a much better deal than just doing one game so we did that and will be back at some point. They have a few different courses with varying difficulty levels, we picked one of the easier ones since we had a 5 and 3 year old doing it. My kids enjoyed playing in the arcade after which had a good variety of games. They also have some type of snack bar you can get food at but we didn't get anything. Overall, it's a good place to bring your kids to entertain them for a few hours.

This is a great place to take the kids for a little outing - also had my granddaughter's 6th BD…read moreparty here and the kids had a great time! It's also great place for a daytime couples date of mini- golf - Stop by and give this visit and see for yourself!