Bucks County Commissioners unanimously approved a proclamation underscoring the importance of Black History month at a regular business meeting Wednesday.
Officials also received an update about the first permanent Black History Museum in the county.
“From the arrival of the very first enslaved people from Africa to the African American icons of today; the commemoration and celebration of Black history is essential to enhancing the unity and strength of our nation,” Bucks County Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo, a Republican, read from the county commissioners’ proclamation.
The proclamation comes two days after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore an exhibit at the remains of The President’s House in Philadelphia, where George Washington kept nine enslaved people during his tenure there.
On February 10, Bucks County Beacon reported that Bucks County had joined with other “collar communities,” including Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, in signing an “amicus brief” or “friend of the court” document supporting Philadelphia’s lawsuit and demanding the exhibit be restored.
Once open to the public, the African American Museum of Bucks County is positioned to make sure none forget the pivotal role of local Black Americans – to the nation’s history.
Bucks County’s stance in supporting black history stands in contrast to Trump’s second term campaign to erase Black history at national parks and in public spaces.
“The current political climate has energized civil rights organizations, artists and academics to engage young people in a full telling of America’s story. There are hundreds of lectures, teach-ins and even new books — from nonfiction to a graphic novel — to mark the milestone,” according to an AP News report.
Bernard Griggs, Bucks County director of operations, led the African American Museum restoration project at the historic Boone Farm located in Core Creek Park in Middletown Township.
Griggs said Wednesday’s meeting “marks a meaningful milestone in the project…and carries a lasting importance for Bucks County.”
“We recently reached an important moment, which is the official turnover of the keys to the building to the African American Museum board of directors,” he added.
Part of the museum’s mission is to preserve, interpret and share African American history and events that occurred “right here in Bucks County,” he said.
The restoration project of the nearly 300 year old structure presented a complex range of challenges, Griggs said.
“The Boone Farm holds historic significance, including documented connections to the Underground Railroad,” he explained.
READ: Trump Administration Ordered to Restore George Washington Slavery Exhibit It Removed in Philadelphia
The museum recognizes Bucks County’s role in the Underground Railroad during the American Civil War, which included covert “way stations” and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans on their journey to freedom.
At a regular business meeting on February 20, 2025, commissioners “affirmed’ a long-term lease agreement for the 32-acre Boone Farm property, with the African American Museum of Bucks County for $1 a year for the next 29 years, Bucks County Beacon previously reported.
The county continues to own the property. As part of the renovation, Bucks County agreed to pay about $4.42 million for site improvements, exterior refurbishment and “core and shell” construction, which include basic systems.
Museum donors and benefactors would pay an estimated $2 million in additional costs for interior renovations and to build out the structure, the previous report said.
The full commissioners meeting recording may be found here.
