Friends of the Bucks County Historical Society
The Friends of the Bucks County Historical Society (BCHS) is a group of community members with a shared interest in history, culture, and the arts. Formerly known as the Women’s Committee, the group was founded on May 11, 1967, as a volunteer auxiliary group with a commitment and dedication to support the mission of the Mercer Museum and Library & Fonthill Castle. The group officially changed its name to the Friends of the Bucks County Historical Society to better reflect its growing membership.
The Friends of BCHS provide educational programs four times a year at no charge to the public. Presentations have focused on topics of local and national interest, as well as many visits from first-person interpreters. Beyond programs, the Friends of BCHS have sponsored a variety of fundraising events over the years, including bus trips, masquerade balls, card parties, tavern nights, musical performances and more.
For additional information or to join the Friends of the BCHS, please contact Kerriann Ruane, Fundraising Special Events Manager, at 215-345-0210, x132, or email kruane@mercermuseum.org.
2022 Upcoming Programs
Clara Barton: The Battlefield is No Place for a Woman
Monday, September 19th
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Mercer Museum – Elkins Gallery
Free – Advanced Registration Required (All donations support future programs)
The American Civil War, or “The War Between the States”, was a contentious time in our nation’s history.
Pitting family against family, brother against brother, the battles fought were some of the cruelest ever seen. Throughout this time period, Clara Barton fought her own battles. Filled with a sense of patriotic duty, she struggled to find her place within this conflict.
Desperate to relieve the suffering she saw, she went to the frontlines, and provided supplies and comfort to the soldiers.
Seeming to appear out of nowhere whenever it was most needed, she earned the nickname “The Angel of the Battlefield”. Her eyewitness accounts of the Civil War forever changed the perception of war and its horrible consequences.
Register for Clara Barton: The Battlefield is No Place for a Woman
Previous Programs:
Friends of BCHS Quarterly Meeting – March 15, 2021
Virtual Lecture: The Private Henry Mercer
This multimedia presentation by BCHS Vice President of Collections and Interpretation Cory Amsler touches on some of the lesser-known aspects of Henry Mercer’s daily life at Fonthill Castle – his intimate and personal relationships, his interactions with household staff, his political and social positions, and his private concerns and passions.
