06/04/2026
Here’s a great Doylestown story for !
For : In 1912, Francis C. Mireau (1868–1952), a former Rittenhouse Club general manager, purchased Doylestown’s Fountain House at the encouragement of Henry Mercer (1856–1930). Mercer, a renowned expert in historical artifacts, convinced Mireau to elevate the inn to a first-class standard by furnishing it with authentic antiques. As a result, the hotel featured Windsor chairs, tester beds (four-poster beds with full canopy), and tilt-top tables, with unique curiosities hanging from the rafters. According to the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, Mireau’s discerning eye allowed him to amass one of the nation’s most significant private antique collections.
Henry Ford (1863–1947) first learned of the Mercer Museum collection through his eastern sales manager (who visited the local car dealer, J. J. Conroy) in 1921. Initially drawn to Doylestown to study agricultural machinery, Ford met Mercer and, upon Mercer’s suggestion, stayed at the Fountain House. Ford was immediately impressed by Mireau’s exceptionally valuable collection of antique furniture, brasses, and etchings. This visit sparked a professional relationship, with Ford returning specifically to acquire numerous pieces from Mireau over the following years.
Mireau’s tenure as an innkeeper ended in September 1928 with a monumental three-day auction of his renowned collection. From September 13 to 15, the event drew hundreds of collectors and dealers nationwide, including a representative for Henry du Pont and Henry Mercer’s assistant curator, Horace M. Mann. Although Henry Ford did not attend in person, he likely acquired items in absentia.
The auction began at 10:00 AM on the first day and eventually grossed in excess of $80,000 (over $1.5 million today). More than 4,000 lots were sold, including a clock that had been presented to General Lafayette during the American Revolution. Several of the items purchased by the three Henrys ended up in their museum collections where they can be viewed today.
Sources: Helen H. Gemmill, Mercer Mosaic, Nov/Dec 1986.
Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, September 10, 1923.
