On a quiet block of Canal Street, away from the bustle of Main Street, sits a vital landmark for a once burgeoning African American community in Yardley. “Main Street may be Yardley’s heart, but this place is its soul,” says Shirley Lee Corsey (pictured above). She is the current caretaker of the Old African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church of Yardley, which she protects and nurtures under her nonprofit, Gather Place. . Read More - click here.
Corsey’s mission is to learn, document and preserve the neighborhood’s rich African American history. She’s already made headway through restoration of the old A.M.E. Church building, and through educational programming run out of its lovingly preserved walls. . Read More - click here.
The Yardley museum hit the road for a recent Black History Month presentation at the Middletown Township amusement park.. Read More - click here.
The Yardley museum hit the road for presentations at Sesame Place and throughout Bucks County. There was also a portrayal of Harriet Tubman.. Read More - click here.
The Yardley Borough museum is one of 31 Black churches in the nation to get the grant. Shirley Lee Corsey, executive director of the South Canal Street museum, said that Gather Place has received a $75,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Read More - click here.
Many may not realize that Bucks County provided a vital link and sort of transportation hub for the Underground Railroad. Now, the historical Gather Place Museum in Yardley will highlight that vital connection through the one-woman "Journey Through Time: The Underground Railroad Revealed," performance. Read More - click here.
History isn’t a straight line. Nor should it tell only one story. For history is a vibrant patchwork of stories woven together by many diverse voices. But only if you take the time to listen. And Shirley Lee Corsey hopes that you do. For telling some of the stories of Yardley’s rich history—the good, the bad, the hopes and triumphs of its early residents—is a mission of Shirley’s, a third generation Yardley resident and founder and conservator of the Gather Place Museum, a non-profit PA state organization, headquartered in the historic A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopalian) church in the small swath of the historic district of Yardley known simply as the Boatyard on South Canal Street. Read More - click here.
Bucks County, a key location in African American history, celebrates Black History Month with an array of enriching events, including a performance from Gather Place Founder Shirley Lee Corsey. Read More - click here.
Sen. Steve Santarsiero · I was happy to present Gather Place's founder Shirley Lee Corsey with a check for $50,000 from the state to repair the building’s roof. With dedication, hard work, and the help of her family and neighbors, Shirley has transformed the 146 year old African Methodist Episcopal Church in Yardley Borough into the first African American Woman-owned and operated American history museum in Bucks County. I enjoyed talking with her, Councilman David Appelbaum and Emily from Rep. Perry Warren's office about their love of the community and vision for the Gather Place.
Check out this featured story by Bill Rohrer, Photojournalist
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