Troy C. Leonard represented KMA at the joyful Juneteenth ribbon cutting for the new home of the African American Museum of Bucks County (AAMBC). Lodged in a 1716 farmhouse at the Boone Farm site in Middletown Township, the meticulous renovation spanned 4,000 square feet, seven rooms, and six niche exhibit spaces that feature the rich heritage and contributions of African Americans as well as the Lenape in the county.
The museum’s beloved founder, Linda Salley, who passed away in May before she could see her dream fully realized, was celebrated at the ceremony and her presence was felt in a memorial bench outside the building, a plaque honoring the museum’s founders, and a quilt she made that is on display.
As the architect of record, KMA’s work involved restoration design of the building’s exterior walls and roof to weatherize and stabilize the structure and reduce energy consumption, all while preserving the historic aspects of the building, along with team members Pennoni and Voith & Mactavish Architects LLP. The interior fit-out incorporated exhibit design, the latter provided by Cloud Gehshan Design, with exhibit technology by Night Kitchen Interactive and lighting design by The Lighting Practice. The general contractor was LJ Paolella Construction.
AAMBC board members were instrumental in decisions during the planning, design, and construction process, which began in 2020. Non-board members were also involved, like local resident and historian Pat Mervine, who helped develop the exhibits, and volunteer coordinator Cheryl Glover, who worked closely with Linda as the project took shape. According to Pat, the comments from visitors over the two-day grand opening were “100% positive about every aspect of the museum, including the superb use of space, comfortable layout, and expert craftsmanship. One guest, a contractor by trade, kept looking around and said wistfully, ‘I wish I had guys who could do this level of work.’”
In addition to the companies already mentioned, we want to thank the following contractors: Prime Sheet Metal Contracting, Palman Electric, Inc., Hirschberg Mechanical LLC, Thompson Networks, and Visual Graphic Systems, Inc (VGS).
Watch a short video about the site’s history and its transformation into AAMBC’s permanent home: LINK
Event photo is courtesy of AAMBC
