Plein Air Paintings

This painting was painted en plein air as part of the AOY At Center Paint Our Towns Plein Air Open in April 2024. As I was painting, I was thrilled to meet a neighborhood resident who turned out to be Shirley Lee Corsey, a third-generation resident of Historic Yardley Borough and a wealth of information about the history of the subject of my painting of Gather Place. Shirley is the Executive Director of Gather Place, the first African American-owned and operated museum in Bucks County, and assumed the role of conservator for the historic African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church which now is home to the museum.

Following is an excerpt from https://gatherplace.org/
“The African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Yardley is a testament to the area’s rich history, tracing back to its origins in 1682 when Quaker William Yeardley founded the village. Continuing this legacy, William’s nephew, Thomas Yardley, further developed the village into what became known as Yardleyville in the early 1700s. The A.M.E. Church of Yardley property predecessors’ ownership ties directly back to Thomas Yardley, George Yardley, and Charles Yardley when this property was called the Boatyard lot. The Eastburn family (also Quakers) owned a hay press barn here, that also served as a gathering place for African American worshippers, named the “Free Peoples Church”, then The Colored Church, established in 1817. Thus, this church played a vital role in Yardley’s Underground Railroad legacy, offering solace and support during tumultuous times. In July 2022, Shirley Lee Corsey, a third-generation resident, became the legal conservator of this historic landmark. Established in 1877 by African American A.M.E. congregants from Trenton, New Jersey, the church now serves as the headquarters for Gather Place, a non-profit organization. Its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places further underscores its significance in preserving Yardley’s legacy and its ties to the Underground Railroad.”