Pennsbury Manor To Add Public Wi-Fi

Pennsbury Manor in Falls Township has secured $50,000 in state funding to install a public Wi-Fi network across the historical site.

State Sen. Steve Santarsiero and State Rep. Jim Prokopiak, both Democrats, announced the grant award earlier this month.

The money will be used by the Pennsbury Society, the nonprofit organization supporting the historic location.

The digital infrastructure will let visitors access educational material and historical details about William and Hannah Penn, the manor house, and the surrounding estate on their devices.

The funding comes as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary and Pennsbury Manor’s 343rd year of history.

Site administrators see the Wi-Fi upgrade as a way to tie the site’s centuries-old past with modern audiences.

“William Penn laid a number of the foundation stones for our current constitutional government, and his gifts continue to affect us all today,” Doug Miller, site director for Pennsbury Manor, said in a news release. “With this grant, we can continue building on that legacy while ensuring Pennsbury Manor remains a relevant place for visitors to engage with this history today.”

Santarsiero, a former social studies teacher, said it is important to modernize access to local heritage.

“Pennsbury Manor is one of the places where we can see our state’s history come to life in Bucks County,” Santarsiero said. “This investment in a site Wi-Fi network will help more visitors connect with the people, ideas, and history that shaped our Commonwealth and our country. I’m proud to support efforts that preserve that history while making it more accessible to the next generation.”

Pennsbury Manor spans 43 acres as the reconstructed estate of William Penn, who originally purchased the property from the Lenape, Pennsylvania’s first people.

The estate is operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and Executive Director Andrea Lowery in partnership with the Pennsbury Society.