Independent Arts News Reporting Free Black History Month at Pennsbury Manor Offers a Moving Portrayal of an Enslaved Woman at William Penn’s Estate
Reported on Thursday, February 13, 2025.
Pictured Above: Shirley Lee Corsey, Executive Director of Gather Place museum at the Historic African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church of Yardley. Photo Credit: The Gather Place.
NEWSROOM POST: MORRISVILLE, PA
Afternoon Event Includes Dramatization of Anti-Slavery Protest and Discussion of Slavery in Pennsylvania, Including William Penn’s Role and Choices
Morrisville, PA – On February 23 from 1-4 p.m., Pennsbury Manor, William Penn’s reconstructed estate on the Delaware River in Bucks County, will host a thought-provoking afternoon of free Black History Month programming focused on slavery in Pennsylvania and on the Pennsbury estate.
The program features:
-A talk about the history of slavery in Pennsylvania by Pennsbury’s Director, Doug Miller
-A dramatization of the 1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery, the first protest of slavery by a religious body in the thirteen colonies
-A discussion of William Penn’s participation in the institution of slavery in the context of rising pro-abolition views amongst Quakers
-A riveting presentation by Shirley Lee Corsey, Executive Director of Gather Place museum at the Historic African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church of Yardley
-Witness Gather Place Museum’s compelling first-person portrayal of Susanna Warder—an enslaved woman who lived and worked at Pennsbury Manor from birth in 1701 until death at the age of 109
-Ms. Corsey will then illuminate untold stories of African American contributions to Yardley Borough, Bucks County, and beyond that connect local history to powerful themes of justice and equality
“These powerful testimonials pay tribute to the strength and resilience of the people, Black and white, enslaved and free, who sacrificed to ensure a more just future for all,” said Doug Miller, Historic Site Administrator at Pennsbury Manor. “Gather Place Museum’s portrayal of Susanna Warder will be particularly moving and memorable. In giving voice to an enslaved member of the Pennsbury community, she adds a new dimension to the stories that we tell during Black History Month.”
Pictured Above: Shirley Lee Corsey, Executive Director of Gather Place museum at the Historic African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church of Yardley. Photo Credit: The Gather Place.
Admission to this event is free. Donations are encouraged. Advance registration is not required. This event is family-friendly, but geared toward elementary school age students and up. Learn More (Here).
About Pennsbury Manor
Pennsbury Manor is the 43 acre reconstructed estate of William Penn in Pennsylvania. Penn purchased the land for his home from Pennsylvania first people, the Lenape. Today the site is operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission with the assistance of the 501(c)(3) Pennsbury Society.
About Gather Place Museum at the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church of Yardley
The AME Church of Yardley, established in 1877 by African American congregants from Trenton, NJ, has deep historical roots tied to the area’s early Quaker settlers. Originally known as the Boatyard lot, the church property connects to the Yardley and Eastburn families, both Quakers, with a hay press barn serving as a gathering place for African American worshippers starting in 1817. This site, referred to as the “Free Peoples Church” and later “The Colored Church,” likely played a role in Yardley and Bucks County’s Underground Railroad history. This landmark, now home to Gather Place Museum, a Pennsylvania nonprofit dedicated to preserving this legacy. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized by the Heritage Conservancy for its cultural and historical importance.
