Sneak Peek Of African American Museum Of Bucks Co.

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA — As everyone awaits an announcement for the opening date of the African American Museum of Bucks County, officials are offering a little teaser.

Officials have released four artist renderings of what the museum will look like upon completion.

See the artist renderings below

In February, Bucks County's government handed over the keys to museum officials. Thus, work began on the interior and in setting up the Middletown Township museum.

Museum officials told Patch at that time that workers are still inside the building, but should be finished sometime during the spring. Next, all the exhibits would be installed before the museum opens.

After years of planning and building, the museum is planning to open at Boone Farm at 867 Newtown-Langhorne Road in Core Creek Park sometime early this year.

Patricia Mervine is the author of "Boone Farm: Its People and Place in Middletown History." The historic farm dates back at least 300 years, with links to the Great Migration of the 20th century.

Ground was broken for the museum in 2022.

When Bucks County Commissioners offered the property to AAMBC in 2020, it had been vacant for nearly 40 years, Mervine told Patch.

The AAMBC plans to have different exhibits and programs throughout the year once it opens.

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.

The stone farmhouse dates back to 1716, making it one of the oldest surviving homes in Bucks County, said Mervine, who wrote a book about Boone Farm.

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.

(African American Museum of Bucks County)