Enhancing the Health and Welfare
of Central Bucks County and Surrounding Communities
In the center of Doylestown, PA is a priceless gem – a stately 17-room Federal-style mansion, built by Judge Henry Mercer, grandfather of the renowned anthropologist Henry Chapman Mercer who was born in the house. It was later purchased by Oliver and Sarah James. Their daughter Sarah James bequeathed the house and all its contents to the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown upon her death in 1954.
The auditorium, added to the structure in 1964, has been the venue for many community meetings, recitals, and theatrical performances, but the original house has been a well-kept secret – until now. In Kathryn McKenna’s book, readers are treated to tales of its rich background through historical accounts and intimate stories, charmingly illustrated from the family archives.