African American Museum Breaks Ground At Historic Middletown Farmhouse

Cheers and claps filled the crisp Wednesday morning air as the African American Museum Of Bucks County broke ground on their permanent home, a long-held dream of the organization.

The county will work with contractors and the museum to completely renovate the historic Boone Farm house along Langhorne-Newtown Road (Route 413) near the intersection with Bridgetown Pike in Middletown Township abutting Core Creek Park.

Work will now move forward on turning the farmhouse into the museum. A contract of $2.39 million has been awarded by the Bucks County Commissioners to L.J. Paolella Construction for general contracting and a contract of $201,000 was awarded to Hirschberg Mechanical for plumbing and fire protection work.

The work is expected to last about a year.

The African American Museum of Bucks County will share the rich history of the Black experience locally and beyond at the new museum, said Linda Salley, president of the African American Museum of Bucks County.

Prior to settling on the Boone Farm, the museum has used traveling exhibits that have toured from Bristol to Quakertown.

Salley celebrated the groundbreaking at the site on Wednesday.

In addition to the county’s support, State Rep. Frank Farry, a Republican who will become a state senator in the new year, announced the state will provide a $250,000 grant to the budding museum.

Farry, who grew up and lives nearby, said the museum will be a good addition to the area.

Bucks County Commissioner Chairperson Bob Harvie said the museum organization will help the museum reach more people.

Diane Ellis-Marseglia, a county commissioner and Middletown Township resident, heralded the work of the African American Museum of Bucks County and its volunteers.

“At this time of year when we’re supposed to be giving thanks, I am truly so thankful to see this project continuing to move forward,” Ellis-Marseglia said.

“The African American Museum of Bucks County does a tremendous job educating Bucks County residents about the history that far too often goes overlooked, and I’m so excited to see the work they can do once settled in their permanent home,” she added.

Ellis-Marseglia stated former commissioner and the late Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, also a Middletown Township resident, wanted the farmstead to be rehabilitated.

Gene DiGirolamo, a commissioner, said the county has committed to support the project.

Bernard Griggs, the county project manager and diversity officer, is overseeing the renovation work. He said the project is a team effort.

Middletown Township Supervisor Anna Payne said the completed museum will be a “shining star” for the community.

In addition to the support from governments and fundraising by the nonprofit, Parx Casino, Sesame Place, and several other businesses have committed donations to the museum.

In 2020, the Bucks County Commissioners agreed to allow the African American Museum of Bucks County to rent the empty Boone Farm for $1 per year until 2030. 

The Boone Farm was once known as a place for steady employment for Black Americans during the The Great Migration.

The farm that operated until the middle part of the last century has structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Godfrey-Kirk House was constructed as a residence for artisans and later converted to a farm. The structure adjacent is a carriage house, which was later turned into a home. The site also features the stone foundation of a barn from 1850.

The property is now called Boone Farm after a family who occupied it. The Godfrey-Kirk House is named after the mason who constructed it.

At the end of Wednesday’s groundbreaking, a minor two-vehicle crash happened just outside the ceremony. Farry, the state representative who is also the chief of the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company, several event attendees and State Rep.-Elect Joe Hogan aided the two drivers along with until Middletown Township police and the Penndel-Middletown Emergency Squad arrived to treat the one for minor injuries.

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