Celebrate 250 in Bucks With Robert J. Harvie Jr.

INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT J. HARVIE JR.

As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary with a surge of events, Bucks County has a special connection to all the excitement. Here, Bucks County Commissioner and Bucks250PA Commission Chair Robert J. Harvie Jr. discusses his role in helping to plan our area’s festivities.

Why did you get involved in public service?

I was raised in a family that emphasized public service. My family believed that our community was only as good as what you were willing to make it, so they were active in parent-teacher organizations, youth sports, and local politics. This upbringing, plus my love of history, led me to become a high school social studies teacher, which was my career for 26 years.

I first ran for office in 2003 and was elected Falls Township Supervisor that year. I was subsequently re-elected to that office in 2009 and 2015. I ran for the Board of Bucks County Commissioner in 2019 and was elected, then was re-elected to the position in 2023.

Why was the Bucks250PA commission formed, and how did you become chairman?

In 2021, the county was contacted by America 250PA, which was designated as the commonwealth’s official organization to commemorate the semiquincentennial. I led the effort to create the Bucks250 Commission and was named to the organization by my fellow commissioners. I became chair in 2022.

The Bucks250 Commission brings together diverse community stakeholders with the goal of inspiring and encouraging Bucks County residents to learn from our shared past, reflect on the present, and work toward a future that meets and expands upon the important ideals of liberty, equality, and democracy that were established at the founding of our nation.

What gives Bucks County its unique connection to America’s 250th anniversary?

As one of the three original counties in Pennsylvania, we have a history older than most counties in the United States. In addition, our location along the Delaware River and as part of the route between Philadelphia and New York put us square in the center of much of the fighting during the American Revolution. Gen. George Washington’s Christmas night crossing in 1776 was the event that saved the Revolution, but Bucks County’s connection to the War for Independence goes beyond that with so many historical sites to visit.

What are some of your favorite highlights or events since the commission started?

One of the events I’m most proud of was the teacher workshop we did this past fall. We offered continuing education credits to teachers from Bucks County schools to learn more about how they can help their students learn about Bucks County history.

But for a lasting legacy, I believe our Revolutionary War Trail would top the list for members of the commission. We have a strong subcommittee that has been working for a few years on creating an interactive map that residents and visitors can use to not only learn more about Bucks County’s ties to the Revolution but plan trips within our beautiful county to see these sites.

What are some fun ways for Upper Makefield Township residents to celebrate this special milestone?

Upper Makefield’s proximity to the site of Washington’s crossing makes celebrating our history very easy. It is, unquestionably, one of the most important sites in the United States. The 250th anniversary of that event will stretch our celebrations in Bucks County all the way through December. The Bucks250 website (Bucks250pa.org) has a calendar of events that lists things going on all over Bucks County this year, so it’s easy to find fun things to do.

For those who want to be more engaged in this celebration, we have been encouraging people to look for ways to volunteer with historic societies to help carry out the plans to mark America’s 250th.

Since you’re a Bucks County commissioner, what’s your favorite thing to do in Upper Makefield Township?

You are talking to a former history teacher and life-long history nerd, so Washington Crossing Historic Park is the easy answer. But I also love biking and walking along the Delaware Canal path—the stretch that runs through Upper Makefield is especially beautiful. Bowman’s Hill Tower also has a special place in our family since my daughter and her fiancé got engaged there last summer.

Photograph courtesy of County of Bucks