As America’s 250th birthday approaches, we can’t let 2025 pass without noting an important milestone: This year Heritage Conservancy’s Register of Historic Places celebrated its 50th anniversary!
The register was formed in 1975 and is growing each year, with over 700 places recognized for their local importance, association with historic events, architecture, and connection to local life, context, and place.
Heritage Conservancy staff Tara Camp, Conservation Acquisition Specialist (left) and Mary Lou McFarland, Senior Preservation Specialist
“It is an amazing collection of places we have recognized over the years,” says Senior Preservation Specialist Mary Lou Mc Farland. “These places connect us to the past and help make our communities unique and beautiful.”
To celebrate 50 years of our Register of Historic Places, here are 6 of our best-known entries on the register.
The Mercer Museum
Henry Chapman Mercer’s six-story concrete castle is a Doylestown landmark and tourist destination. Completed by the local artist and tile maker in 1916, it houses Mercer’s massive collection of pre-industrial American tools and artifacts, along with artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries, artisan tools, Americana, a Conestoga wagon, and more. The Mercer Museum joined Heritage Conservancy’s Register in 1976.
The Pearl S. Buck House
Pearl S. Buck House, photo via Pixabay
Formerly known as Green Hills Farm, the Pearl S. Buck House was home to the Pulitzer- and Nobel Prize-winning author. From this homebase, she raised her family, wrote prolifically, and worked tirelessly for human and civil rights. The 1825 stone farmhouse holds the desk where she wrote The Good Earth. The home and gardens opened as a museum in 1980 but the site was added to our Register of Historic Places even earlier, in 1976.
Andalusia Historic House, Garden, & Arboretum
Andalusia, photo by Cathrin Baumbach
This historic colonial estate sits on 50 acres of woodlands overlooking the Delaware River in Bensalem. The mansion was built in 1797 and occupied by generations of the prominent Biddle family. It is an impressive example of Greek Revival architecture. The grounds have formal gardens and an arboretum with over 250 different species of trees. It is the only Royal Horticultural Society Partner Garden in the United States and joined our Register of Historic Places in 1976. In season, Andalusia is popular with visitors.
New Hope – Lambertville Bridge
This 1,053-foot steel truss bridge was built in 1904 and joined our Register of Historic Places in 1979. Spanning the Delaware River to connect the commerce centers of New Hope and Lambertville, this bridge replaced previous wooden bridges that were ruined by floodwaters. It carries foot traffic from one business district across the river to the other.
Washington Crossing Historic Park
This 500-acre park preserves the site of George Washington’s Christmas crossing of the Delaware during a pivotal moment in the Revolutionary War. Beyond its annual reenactment and hiking trails, Washington Crossing Historic Park includes notable historic buildings like McConkey’s Ferry Inn and Bowman’s Hill Tower. The park was established in 1917 and joined our Register 200 years after the historic crossing.
Fonthill Castle
Henry Chapman Mercer completed his Doylestown home in 1912, an eccentric reinforced concrete building that mixed Gothic, Medieval, and Byzantine architecture. The 44-room castle is chock full of Mercer’s decorative tiles and elaborate fireplaces and interiors that captured the Arts and Crafts movement. Fonthill Castle joined our list four years after being added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The adjacent Moravian Pottery and Tile Works building (photographed below), with its artist workshops and gift store, is also on Heritage Conservancy’s Register
Of course there are other public entries, including churches, hotels, historic districts, meeting houses, parks, and bridges. And a listing we hold near and dear our hearts – Historic Aldie Mansion, William and Martha Mercer’s 1927 gothic revival mansion, our headquarters.
Aldie Mansion, photo by Dusty Nelson
Beyond the marquee buildings, our list includes numerous private homes and farms – places one cannot visit on a daytrip but that add to the rich tapestry of our local community and its character. Together, these places tell the stories of past generations, echoing into the present and enriching our sense of place.
“I love that our list includes both public landmarks and smaller, residential homes and private properties,” says Mary Lou. “It takes real effort to apply for this designation, and for a home owner, it is a labor of love that comes from a true respect for history. Our review board sees and appreciates that.”
“We are always excited to see new applications coming in,” says Tara Camp, Conservation Acquisition Specialist. She will oversee the Historic Review Board’s next meeting in January, after Mary Lou retires from her position with Heritage Conservancy and becomes a member of the group herself, after years of coordinating the review board’s work.
The Historic Review Board vets applications closely and meets quarterly to review applications and welcome new entries to our listing. To learn more about Heritage Conservancy’s Register of Historic Places and how to apply, click here.