Thanks to a grant from the William Penn Foundation, the Michener Art Museum was able to commission a permanent exhibit outside our New Hope facility promoting eight organizations, known as Cultural Partners, that represent the best of Bucks County's cultural and historical assets. These illustrated markers invite visitors to discover the many and diverse attractions the region has to offer.

Participating organizations include:

Pearl S. Buck International

Although best known as the prolific author of The Good Earth and winner of the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes, Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) led a career that extended well beyond her eighty works of fiction and nonfiction and deep into the public sphere. Passionately committed to the cause of social justice, she was active in the American civil rights and women's rights movements; she also founded Welcome House, the first international adoption agency. Buck was an outspoken advocate of racial understanding, and vital as a cultural ambassador between the United States and China. Contents of the 1835 farmhouse and National Historic Landmark that was her home reflect the multi-cultural life Pearl S. Buck lived – first as the child of missionaries in China and then as an author, humanitarian, activist and mother of seven children. The non-profit Pearl S. Buck International continues to promote the legacy and dreams of its founder.

Fonthill

Henry C. Mercer (1856-1930) built Fonthill as his home between 1908 and 1912 and designed it "room by room, from the interior; the exterior not being considered until all the rooms had been imagined and sketched." The concrete castle boasts 44 rooms, 18 fireplaces and more than 200 windows of varying size and shape. The interior walls, floors and ceilings are elaborately adorned with an incredible array of Mercer's original handcrafted tiles as well as the Persian, Chinese, Spanish and Dutch tiles he collected. The Museum is a National Historical Landmark administered by the Bucks County Historical Society. Admission is by guided tour only and reservations are required.

Mercer Museum

Henry C. Mercer (1856-1930) had a boundless collection of early American everyday objects and ancient artifacts. Between 1913 and 1916, he built the Mercer Museum to contain the collection that represents 60 early American trades, including cider making, blacksmithing, printing, needlework, shoemaking and farming, preserving the past in timeless fashion. Rising seven stories and constructed entirely of reinforced concrete, its towers, gables and parapets announce the diversity inside. Walk into the Central Court and see a Conestoga wagon, whaling boat, carriages and antique fire engine suspended overhead. Discover the hangman's gallows and dog paw prints in concrete. The Museum is a National Historic Landmark administered by the Bucks County Historical Society.

James A. Michener Art Museum - Doylestown

Housed on the site of the former Bucks County prison, the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown was opened in 1988, and since then has served as an independent, non-profit cultural institution dedicated to preserving, interpreting and exhibiting the art and cultural heritage of the Bucks County region. The Museum is named for Doylestown's most famous son, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and supporter of the arts. At the heart of the Museum's permanent collection are some of the finest Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings anywhere. In addition, the Museum hosts nationally touring exhibitions and showcases important regional artists. A dramatic outdoor sculpture garden, cafe and gift shop are also on site.

Moravian Pottery & Tileworks

Over a century ago Henry C. Mercer (1856-1930) established the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works to handcraft decorative tiles and mosaics in the spirit of the "Arts & Crafts" movement. Constructed of hand-mixed reinforced concrete in a Spanish Mission style, the factory produced "Moravian" tiles for thousands of public and private buildings throughout the United States. The current factory was built in 1911-1912 by Mercer to replace the original studio where he first produced tiles in 1898. His patented processes included the use of natural unrefined clay, formulated glazes and coal fueled kilns. Moravian Pottery & Tile Works is among the very few Arts & Crafts potteries still in business; it is now a National Historic Landmark administered as a working history museum by the Bucks County Department of Parks & Recreation.

New Hope Historical Society

Founded in 1958, the New Hope Historical Society is dedicated to preserving historical and cultural aspects of New Hope. The centerpiece of their efforts is historic Parry Mansion Museum, located at 45 South Main St. in New Hope. This landmark structure reflects 125 years (from 1775 to 1900) of decorative changes, and was the inspiration of Charles Lamar, noted decorative historian and interior designer. Since 1966, the New Hope Historical Society has maintained this splendid mansion house as a museum, the centerpiece of New Hope and tribute to the American experience.

Pennsbury Manor

Pennsbury Manor is the elegantly recreated 17th-century country estate of William Penn (1644-1718) — statesman, diplomat, scholar, founder of Pennsylvania, and America's foremost Quaker. Situated along the banks of the Delaware River, this 43-acre park-like estate includes: a Georgian Manor House, bake & brew, stables with period animals, joyner shop, blacksmith shop, smoke house, workers cottage, boat house, extensive period formal and kitchen gardens, visitor center, picnic pavilion, and a gift shop. Experience Penn's 17th century through guided tours, hands-on workshops, lively demonstrations of colonial crafts and trades, and much more. Pennsbury Manor is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission with the support of The Pennsbury Society, a non-profit organization.

Washington Crossing Historic Park

Washington Crossing Historic Park commemorates the site where General George Washington and approximately 2,400 men of the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 and marched nine miles to Trenton, New Jersey. Their surprise attack and victory over Hessian troops there, and a subsequent victory in the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, have become known as the Ten Crucial Days; a campaign that saved both the Continental Army and the American Revolution from certain defeat. The 500-acre park includes a visitor center, orientation film, historic structures—including the McConkey Ferry Inn/Tavern, the Thompson-Neely House and Gristmill, and the village of Taylorsville. Bowman's Hill Tower, Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve and recreational pavilions are also part of the Park.