Henry Mercer, an esteemed intellectual scholar and ambitious anthropologist, ceramist and antiquarian built Fonthill Castle, his private residence, from 1908-1912. His home was mainly used as a showplace for his collection of ceramic tiles and prints. The home itself was built entirely of concrete since Mercer was afraid of his  collection of ceramic pieces being destroyed by fire, and concrete is resistant to fire and doesn't burn. As a young, curious man, Henry Mercer became interested in the pottery-making of the Pennsylvania German community and was surprised to learn that the craft was disappearing. In response to this startling fact, Mercer built his own kiln (an oven used to bake/dry pottery pieces) and took it upon himself to experiment with clays and make his own tiles. Overtime Mercer's interest in tiles soared and he began designing his own tiles, as well as collecting tiles from all over the world. At one point Mercer's collection of tiles that he hand made himself were installed on the floor of the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, PA, during 1904-1905. As for his home, Henry adorned the walls, floors and ceiling with every kind of tile including Mosaic, Brocade and Moravian tiles. Throughout his time spent at Fonthill Castle, Henry Mercer also entertained a wide range of famous guests and even notable families such as the Roosevelts and Rothschilds. To this day, the Fonthill Castle remains coated in tiles and continues to educate tourists about the history of tiles.