LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —The Boone Farm is being transformed.
Slowly, but surely, the farm on Route 413 in the Bridgetown area of Middletown Township is becoming the future home of the African American Museum of Bucks County.
As the nation celebrates Black History Month, the work on the farm and the efforts of the museum are being showcased.
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The Heritage Conservancy recently spotlighted “the outstanding mission” of the African American Museum of Bucks County.
“Their work helps honor the African American experience and educates the community through information and stories about the diverse cultures of Bucks County and beyond,” the Heritage Conservancy said. “They do an incredible job of offering educational resources through events, school programs, virtual education, and tours of the Underground Railroad.”
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Established in 2014, the museum has existed solely as a “mobile museum,” displaying exhibits and artifacts at schools, libraries, senior centers, and other locations throughout Bucks County.
But sometime next year, the museum will have a permanent home at Boone Farm.
The stone farmhouse dates back to 1716, making it one of the oldest surviving homes in Bucks County, said Patricia Mervine, who recently wrote a book about Boone Farm.
When Bucks County Commissioners offered the property to AAMBC in 2020, it had been vacant for nearly 40 years, Mervine told Patch.
She said that plumbing, heating, electricity, interior walls, and even some stairs from one level to another had been stripped out many years ago when renovations were started and then were halted.
This left a blank slate and an “exciting challenge” for Voith & Mactavish Architects to design a museum of Bucks County’s African American history in a colonial-era home that, subsequent research has found, has its own history related to the African American experience.
Groundbreaking was held in November 2022.
The first major step was to connect the property to water, sewer, and electricity. Siding from the 1980s was removed from the addition made by Cheshire and Grace Boone in the 1920s, in preparation for the installation of siding more appropriate to the period of the home, Mervine said.
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New windows are on order, which will greatly improve the look and efficiency of the building.
Two floors of the farmhouse are being converted to permanent and changing exhibit spaces, a classroom with state-of-the-art technology, and a research library, made accessible to all by an elevator that is currently under construction on the back of the building.
Mervine said that many of the building’s historic features, including fireplaces and stone walls, will be retained, complemented by new oak floors, banisters, and moldings.
The exterior will have new porches and the grounds will be landscaped to provide a picnic area for visitors along the banks of Core Creek.
The museum has a $1 lease annually with the county for 30 years, Mervine said.
All of this comes with a $6 million price tag.
AAMBC has already received substantial grants and donations, but more is needed. AAMBC recently kicked off its Capital Campaign to elicit support from individuals, businesses, and organizations across the county. Donations, large and small, are welcome.
Funding for the project has also come from Bucks County in addition to substantial contributions from Parx Casino and Sesame Place.
Visit infoaambc.org to sign up for the AAMBC newsletter and to make donations online. Email
info@aambcmuseum.org to receive information about corporate sponsorship and commemorative donations, such as opportunities to name rooms, benches, and other parts of the museum for businesses and loved ones.
“History unites us all and every voice deserves to be heard. If you share this belief, join us
in ‘Building the Dream’ of the African American Museum of Bucks County,” Mervine said.
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