The African American Museum of Bucks County has finally opened the doors to its permanent home after centuries of history and hard-won effort, writes Miriam Fabrycky for Bucks County Courier Times.
The grand opening ceremony at the restored Boone Farm property in Langhorne drew more than 100 invited guests, all gathered to mark a milestone that many had spent years working toward.
The day carried both celebration and grief in equal measure, as guests remembered a central figure who wasn’t there to see it.
Museum president and executive director Linda Salley sadly passed on May 11 at age 78, just weeks before the opening she had spent nearly 15 years working to make real.
Salley’s name and spirit were woven through every moment of the ceremony: in a memorial bench outside the building, in a plaque honoring the museum’s founders, and in a quilt she made herself, now displayed on the wall inside.
Reverend Lugenure Davis Jones offered words celebrating Salley’s life and work, saying, “May all who sit here be reminded that a life with purpose and generosity and love leaves an enduring legacy.”
The museum traces its origins to 2012, when Salley and fellow congregants at First Baptist Church in Langhorne began talking about what a dedicated institution for African American history in Bucks County might look like.
After outgrowing an initial exhibit space, the group secured a lease on the historic Boone Farm property in 2020.
What emerged is a museum with seven exhibition rooms, housing a collection that spans eras and art forms.
Exhibits include a bronze statue by Harlem Renaissance sculptor and New Hope resident Selma Burke, an illustrated antique copy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and audio recordings spotlighting notable figures in African American history.
Now open to the public at select times Wednesday through Saturday, the museum stands as a permanent home for African American history in Bucks County, and a testament to the vision of the founders who made it possible.
Learn more about the African American Museum of Bucks County and the museum’s grand opening in Bucks County Courier Times.
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