African American Museum Nearing Completion In Middletown

The African American Museum of Bucks County is entering the final stages of a yearslong journey to establish its first permanent home.

Bernard Griggs, the director of operations for the county’s general services division, provided an update on the project during Black History Month.

Griggs said that the restoration of the 300-year-old Boone Farm property is now approximately 85 percent complete.

The project has focused on the 4,000-square-foot, two-and-a-half-story masonry structure located next to Core Creek Park. It also involves landscaping work outside.

Built in the early 1700s, the farmhouse has documented ties to the Underground Railroad and later served as a source of stable employment for Black Americans during the Great Migration.

“The Boone Farm holds historic significance … which makes the site especially meaningful during Black History Month and entirely fitting for the home of the museum,” Griggs said.

The plans for the site began in late 2020 with 18 months of architectural design, engineering, and reviews.

Physical construction on the load-bearing masonry building followed in 2022 after a groundbreaking ceremony.

Griggs said the age of the structure presented several “unforeseen conditions” typical of buildings over three centuries old that had fallen into significant disrepair.

“Restoring a building of this age requires careful and a methodical approach,” Griggs said.

The county official described the project as both technically complex and historically significant.

The county-funded portion of the project, which covers the building’s core and shell, is now finished.

Under a nonprofit lease agreement, the museum is responsible for the final 15 percent of the work, which includes the interior build-out.

The museum has operated in a mobile form since 2014 as it visited libraries and schools.

The transition to a permanent site began in 2020 when county commissioners agreed to lease the property to the museum for $1 a year.

Museum President and Executive Director Linda Salley recently participated in a ceremonial key handover with Griggs, museum board members, and county officials.

Commissioner Bob Harvie, a Democrat, credited Griggs’ construction background for navigating the complexities of the renovation.

Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo, a Republican, said the county has proclaimed February Black History Month.

While Salley and her team of volunteers and contractors have faced challenges during the renovation, the project is now estimated to be only a few months away from completion.

“The restoration of the farmhouse will not only serve as a museum, but a living historical landmark for education, reflection and community connection,” Griggs said.

Once the interior work is finalized, the county plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the museum’s doors.