New Hope Lambertville Winterfest

This was the first time I attended a parade in winter!
It just seemed a little strange to me...
A parade in winter. 

And lucky me, the weather was more spring-like than winter-like. 

Maybe that explains what got me there.

Or maybe it was because a group of my photo club friends
were meeting there too.



Whatever!

At least there was a lot of winter blues to see -
From sunglasses to firefighter hats!





The best part of a parade are the kids.
Don't you agree?





For more Winterfest Photos click here.

What blues do you have to share this week?

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The Boathouse Row Hawk

Along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia 

is a popular path used for biking and running. 

It passes right along Boathouse Row and the Art Museum. 

It is an urban area 

so a wildlife encounter 

kind or surprised me! 

According to the local residents, 

this fellow is a regular. 

He hunts for critters in their gardens. 

He didn't catch anything 

while I watched, 

but it wasn't for lack of trying! 

More photos here.

Moravian Tile Works

Forgive me... 

I am still on my Henry C. Mercer obsession. 

(The man is fascinating.)

This week the focus is on his tiles.  

In his early 50's, Henry Chapman Mercer started producing the tiles 

for which he is known today.
They have been purchased and installed around the world.



His style and designs were inspired by his large collection of
German Stove Plates.
You can see the similarities in the designs.
Below is a sample stove plate.



The tiles were made by hand -
as Mercer was a proponent of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Today, his Moravian Pottery and Tile Works still exists
in Doylestown, PA and produces the tiles
in the same manner of Henry C. Mercer.






Visiting one of his buildings
is like visiting tile heaven.

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Stained Glass from the Castle

The original stained glass inside 

St. Mary's Home... 

which is the local castle... 

has an interesting history! 

To learn more about the Lindenwold Castle, 

see this post. 

The Victorian ladies 

are featured in the stained glass windows 

adorning the dining room. 

The 'official' statement 

is that the ladies were copied off of dinner plates 

the Richard V. Mattison 

had imported. 

But the guide 

had a much more interesting 

theory. 

He believed one photo to be 

the first wife of Richard V. Mattison 

and the others to be his mistresses!  

In the absence of dinner plates as proof 

I am believing the second theory!  

haha! 

St. Mary's acquired the castle and has since added some 

additional stained glass.  

But nothing as interesting 

as Richard's ladies.

Behind the Castle Walls

I finally had a chance to get behind the castle walls!

(Photo taken previously.)

I have wished for this day for a decade. 

So when St. Mary's Villa in Ambler, PA 

announced the first open house in 10 years 

I signed up immediately. 

The castle typically has 'No Trespassing' signs.

Here is an after (left) and before (right) of the castle
found on a second story wall.



In 1879 the home was built as a Queen Anne Gothic Mansion.
(Which I prefer over the remodel!)
In 1901 Dr. Richard V. Mattison
remodeled the property to resemble
Windsor Castle in England.
He named the property Lindenwold.

Upon entering the castle
you are greeted with beautiful hand carved woodwork
imported from Germany.
It kind of reminds me of the woodwork
on some cuckoo clocks I've seen.



Immediately to your right
is the formal parlor
containing one of two marble fireplaces in the home.



And in one of the window alcoves a piano...
if I were a child I think this location would motivate me to practice!



Although this room was redone by St Mary's
it retains the look and feel of the original decor.



Behind the formal parlor is the library
which retains much of the original Spanish style decor.



Opposite the front door and down the hall is the dining room.
The dining room windows are made of stained glass
featuring Victorian women.





There is a beautiful staircase that takes you to the second floor
with a stained glass window added by St. Mary's.



My favorite room is at the top of the stairs.
It is the sitting room...and I could sit here for hours!



The afternoon light made this room beautiful!



The sitting room connects to several other rooms around it.



This completes the first two floors,
but there are two more floors above that I wish could be explored!
Maybe sometime in the future.

Dr. Richard Mattison and his business partner Mr. Henry Keasbey 

made their business in medicines 

until Mattison discovered asbestos 

which was sold for use in building supplies. 

We all know the danger of asbestos now,

and as a result of asbestos manufacturing, Ambler was left with a Superfund site . 

Keasbey & Mattison remained in business until the Great Depression 

when their business was sold to Turner, Newhall Ltd. in 1934. 

Dr. Mattison died in 1936.

 Lindenwold Castle was acquired by St. Mary's Villa in 1936

in order to expand their services as an orphanage for boys.

Today, "St Mary's Villa for Children and Families 

is recognized as a preeminent provider of services for 

abused and neglected children in the greater Philadelphia area."

For older images from the Library of Congress, click here.

For more images from this set, click here.