Must See Bucks County Pennsylvania Attractions
History and Art at the Heart of America’s Birthplace
Oct 18, 2009
William Penn, the Keystone state’s first governor, founded Bucks County Pennsylvania in 1682. Penn was born October 14, 1644 in London, England. As a young man he was familiar with the persecution of Quakers in Europe. In fact, Penn was jailed for his religious beliefs. After his father took ill, William petitioned the King of England and sought refuge in North America. At first his efforts led him to New Jersey.
Learn About Bucks County’s Pennsbury Manor
Nearby land afforded William Penn the opportunity to settle with fellow Quakers in a welcoming area. The move also afforded Penn the chance to grow his wealth. Two years shy of his fortieth birthday, William founded Pennsylvania’s Bucks County. He named the area after Buckinghamshire, the name of his family’s home back in England.
Today Pennsbury Manor, located at 400 Pennsbury Memorial Road in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, serves as a historical reminder of the man who founded the county. The mansion is the actual home that William Penn and his family lived in while they resided in Pennsylvania. Guided tours are available Tuesday through Saturday until 5:00 PM for a fee of about $5.00 per person.
Visitors are shown how early settlers lived in the county during the late 1600s and early 1700s. Adults, students and children can watch Manor employees spin yarn made from the wool of the on-site sheep. Walk through the servant living quarters and stroll down to the barge placed on a bank of the majestic Delaware River. Dine at one of the picnic tables. Stop in and visit the gift shop to explore the history books and local artwork.
America’s First Women Pulitzer Prize Writer
Nearly 40 minutes further into Bucks County at 520 Dublin Road in Perkasie, Pennsylvania is the Pearl S. Buck International House. Nestled on 60 acres of earth, the house that was home to America’s first woman Nobel and Pulitzer Prize writer, is replete with flowers, history and education.
Walk through the writing room, kitchen and other living quarters of one of America’s most renowned writers and the author of the bestselling novel, The Good Earth. Other works authored by Pearl S. Buck include The Big Wave, China Speaks to America, East and West, My Mother’s House, Once Upon a Christmas and Lovers and Other Stories.
November through December the estate holds a Festival of Trees Holiday House Tour that exhibits over a dozen lit trees. Learn about Pearl S. Buck’s efforts to assist disadvantaged children born in the East to United States service men during World War II. Tours are held Tuesday through Sunday until 2:00 PM. It cost about $7.00 per person to take a guided tour. The estate also hosts weddings and special private events throughout the year.
Bucks County Riches at James A. Michener Art Museum
The James A. Michener Art Museum located at 138 South Pine Street in Doylestown, Pennsylvania is an arts and history treasure trove. Exhibits are held year round. For example, November 2009 the museum will showcase a Jim Henson’s Fantastic World exhibit. The life and art of R.A.D. Miller will be on display through January 3, 2010.
A database of Bucks County artists, including poets Dorothy Parker and Stanley Kunitz, actors Shirley Booth and Nelson Case, novelists Jean Toomer and Ruth Goetz and photographers Diane Burko and Charles Sheeler, is available at the museum. Artists studio tours, film screenings, jazz, instructional lectures and creative arts classes are also available at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday until about 5:00 PM. There is an admission fee of about $10 per person to tour the museum that is rich with art, entertainment and history.
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