Lower Bucks Co. History Leader Questions $2M In Federal Funds

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The founder of The Gather Place in Yardley has established the African American Community Center of Bucks County and is asking legislators about $2 million in federal community funding for the center.

Gather Place Executive Director Shirley Corsey told Patch that she is seeking transparency about the "implementation and distribution" of the $2 million in FY2026 federal Community Project Funding (CPF).

That CPF request is associated with the Boone Farm Expansion Project where the African American Museum of Bucks County in Middletown Township is now housed.

"I want the money for the community," Corsey said. "I want the funding as it was intended and as it was written. Give us space on Boone Farm. I want to utilize that $2 million for the people. This should be a free and open public resource."

Corsey said that the African American Community Center of Bucks County will be a Pennsylvania nonprofit organization established to provide free public programming, educational opportunities, and community engagement celebrating and preserving the history, culture, and contributions of African Americans throughout Bucks County.

Corsey has formally notified Bucks County officials and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick's office of the organization's establishment and has requested a public meeting regarding the $2 million in funding.

Patch had sent an email to Fitzpatrick's office seeking comment.

Corsey has also formally requested a meeting with Bucks County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia to discuss how the center can participate in fulfilling the objectives described in the original federal funding request.

Bucks County Spokesman James O'Malley issued a statement on behalf of the Bucks County government:

"This very public endeavor has been covered thoroughly in the last few years, from when the Commissioners, in a unanimous bipartisan vote in 2020, granted use of the Boone Farm property to the African American Museum of Bucks County (AAMBC) for its long overdue permanent home; to the groundbreaking ceremony in 2022; to just weeks ago at the historic grand opening ribbon cutting on Juneteenth 2026," O'Malley said.

"Now that this project has been realized, and this facility is open to the public, the AAMBC will be the only organization operating on its grounds," he said.

O'Malley said the county applied for and received a federal grant for construction related to the AAMBC, but has no authority to decide whom the federal government awards a grant and for how much so county officials cannort speak about that process.

"The funding has still not been disbursed by the federal government," O'Malley said. "That said, just because one organization is awarded a grant does not entitle another organization to any portion of that funding."

O'Malley said while the building is built, the museum open, and the displays stand ready to educate, the work never ends, and the Bucks County Commissioners support the cause.

"That's a testament to the late, great Linda Salley, who marshalled this project along from its infancy to fulfilling the dream of securing a brick-and-mortar home for the AAMBC. That’s the story that should be told."

Corsey stated that because public funds were requested through the federal Community Project Funding process, she believes the public is entitled to complete transparency regarding the intended recipient, administration, implementation, and ultimate use of those funds.

She intends to pursue all lawful avenues available to obtain public clarification regarding these matters.

According to Fitzpatrick's May 23 2025 Community Project Funding Disclosure Letter, federal funding was requested for the "Boone Farm Expansion Project and the establishment of the African American Community Center."

She said that on June 19, at the grand opening of the African American Museum of Bucks County at Boone Farm, Kyle Melander — district director for Fitzpatrick, publicly stated on the congressman's behalf that $2 million in funding was secured.

Corsey said she met with Melander at the congressman's Langhorne District Office in February to get a better understanding about the grant.

Corsey further notes that the funding guidance generally excludes museums from eligibility for this kind of funding.

She states that this understanding contributed to her decision to establish the African American Community Center of Bucks County as a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free educational programming and community services.

Corsey had sought CPF $500,000 grant for handicapped-accessible bathrooms at The Gather Place on South Canal Street. That was never advanced by legislators.

As the founder of The Gather Place, Corsey has received accolades for her efforts to put the site on the map in Bucks County.

The site is an award-winning nonprofit museum operating since 2022at the historic 1877 African Methodist Episcopal Church of Yardley.

Through Gather Place, she has led educational initiatives focused on African American history, local history, oral history preservation, living history interpretation, and community engagement throughout Bucks County.

Corsey is seeking clarification regarding several questions of public interest.

Those questions include:

• Which entity has been legally designated to receive the reported $2 million in Community Project Funding.
• What role Bucks County will play in administering or distributing those federal funds.
• Whether the project currently being implemented remains consistent with the project described in the May 23, 2025, federal funding disclosure.
• How the publicly announced project aligns with the original Community Project Funding request submitted to Congress.