Crystal Cave, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Stalactites

The Crystal Cave I saw on Friday looks the same now as when people first visited in the 1870s. It takes about five hundred years for a stalactite (hanging from the top) or a stalagmite (growing up from the floor from stalactite drips) to gain one to three inches. Both of these are made from calcium carbonate. If they meet in the middle, they are called a column. Crystal Cave has some of these. It is considered a live cave because it is currently still affected by water even though no large quantities run through it changing its shapes and cavities. There is still seepage which causes the formations to change ever-so-slightly over centuries. The forty-five minute cave walk we experienced was damp and cool: the temperature stays constant at 54 degrees. There is very little life inside. Bats live in there, although we didn't see any, and tiny bits of moss where there is (artificial) light. If any ferns or other types of plants grow, their seed probably came in on someone's foot. Volunteers carefully remove any kind of plant life in order to preserve the rock formations.

Stalagmites: these are called the Prairie Dogs.

A huge formation of flowstone, created by running water

Two farmers discovered the cave in 1871 when they were working in a stone quarry. They ventured inside but were turned back by the darkness. Our tour guide let us experience that total darkness by turning out the lights that illuminate the various formations for an uncomfortably long time. This put me on edge more than I would like to admit, and I stood stalagmite-still in my spot for the duration. Those original farmer-discoverers talked up the cave and returned the next day with more guys, candles, and coal oil lanterns. They were fascinated by the formations, textures, and colors which they considered God's artistry. One of the first farmers to explore the cave, Samuel D.F. Kohler, purchased the land in 1872 and began accompanying visitors into the cave. He was the one who built the door to the cave to keep out anyone who might want to damage it. Well, more people came, he built a hotel, more people came, he ran buggies to and from the train station, and eventually his son David sold the property in 1923 to the Crystal Cave Company which still owns it and runs it today.

Stairs in the cave

So Fred and I, being Fred and me, gazed in wonder at the cool formations, but equally at the concrete walkways and stairs. How did they build those? Keep in mind there is a limited opening, tight corners, stuff hanging from the top and pointing up from the bottom. You probably couldn't run a concrete shoot in there, let alone get a truck anywhere near. How do even build the forms for the concrete stairs?

This is the Historic Inn, portions built in 1799 and 1876. The gift shop is in there now.

This was a cool exploration for a late-springtime day. We finished the afternoon at the gift shop in the Historic Inn. I bought my usual post cards and informational booklet, and Fred contemplated some snack foods. These are real, not candy made to look like creatures. "We bought some as a joke, but didn't think they would sell. They did and we had to reorder a case!"

Snacks. (Photo courtesy of Fred Peters)

Ringing Rocks Park, Bucks County, PA

We spent Friday driving around Bucks County, Pennsylvania, so that I could gather information, photos, and video for an article about lesser-known attractions in this county. (I stayed away from Sesame Place and Peddler's Village, but we did drive through New Hope.) One of the most interesting places of all is Ringing Rocks Park. We brought all sorts of hammers as we were told, but a regular metal hammer was the best of all....




No one knows how these rocks got here, and the meteorite and glacier-dump theories seem to have been discredited. There is very little information online which adds to the mystery. It is an interesting place to visit, straight up the River Road (Route 32), among all of the other Bucks County sites: quaint towns, covered bridges, historical monuments, huge parks, and original restaurants. Why didn't I think to write this article sooner?

Moravian Tile Works

There are tiles and there are tiles! We visited Henry Mercer's Moravian Tile Works in Doylestown, Bucks County, PA, on Sunday. I had passed this strange looking building (built in 1910-1912) many times on Route 313, but never stopped to check it out until now. From the road it looks kind of spooky, but the opposite side is actually the front. the design is based on California missions with a courtyard and covered walks, lots of arches, and a tile roof. The many chimneys are copied from those at San Juan Capistrano. The entire building is made out of concrete with various materials stuck to the walls on the inside: burlap, sheet metal, and other unidentifiable substances.

Back to the tiles: Henry Mercer studied to be a lawyer and switched to archeology, but he's remembered most for his collection of tools and artifacts and the Moravian Tile Works. Originally he was inspired by Pennsylvania German designs, but through his travels he was exposed to other styles that he would use for his tiles: Aztec, Inca, English, European medieval, Native American, folk, nature, and Bible motives. The Arts and Crafts Movement and Spanish-influenced architecture were both popular when the Tile Works was making tiles, and tile fits into both. There was a large market in Pennsylvania and beyond for mercer's tiles. The state capitol in Harrisburg features an original Henry Mercer tile mosaic that tells the history of Pennsylvania.

Tiles are still made at the Moravian Tile Works, and craftspeople were at work Sunday making tiles from the original Mercer molds. The gift shop has an extensive collection of tiles in the various styles and sizes made through the years at the Moravian Tile Works. Although I dream of a new kitchen backsplash made from these beautifully crafted tiles, I settled for a golden cut-out bee and a square relief of The Flying Dutchman ghost ship.