Listing on the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail
We are very pleased to have Timbuctoo listed on the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail in 2024. We finally received our marker in October 2025. This designation provides important recognition of historic significance, as well as access to funding streams reserved for sites whose historical authenticity has been validated by objective review, after a rigorous application process.
We also acknowledge the Burlington County Parks Department whose grant support over the years facilitated our ability to complete the applications with minimal additional research. Work on our application for listing on the National Register of Historic Places is ongoing.
Preservation New Jersey award to Guy Weston
The Doris C Carpenter Excellence Award was presented Guy Weston, founder of the Timbuctoo Historical Society. Weston was recognized for extensive research and advocacy that has elevated the history of Timbuctoo, a free Black community founded in 1826, to statewide and national prominence.
Homage to Early 20th Century Timbuctoo Pioneers
The recently renewed interest in the history of Timbuctoo (or “Bucto,” as affectionately called by people who live there), has focused mostly on the novelty of the Black landowners decades before the Civil War. However, the importance of honoring the memory of early twentieth century pioneers can not be ignored. Many of those families are represented by modern day descendants who still live in the area. With this new historic sign, we pay tribute to the progenitors of the Butler, Couch, Murray, Rogers, and Smith families.
Each family has its own unique story of how their ancestors arrived, and through a combination of hard work, innovation, resilience, a strong sense of community, and faith in God, succeeded, sometimes facing seemingly unsurmountable obstacles. Each left lasting legacies and remembrances that endure even today. We commemorate these families through signage to ensure their stories are included in the emerging narratives of Timbuctoo’s history. This sign was installed in June 2025.
Listing on Underground Network to Freedom
We were also pleased to have Timbuctoo listed on the Underground Railroad Network To Freedom (National Park Service) in 2024. This designation also elevates Timbuctoo in terms of visibility and funding opportunities, as discussed above regarding the Black Heritage Trail.
Presentations and Workshops
Pictured above, Guy Weston presents at a program celebrating the 250th anniversary of Mount Holly Friends (Quaker) Meeting in September 2025. This event was particularly significant, since the meetinghouse dates to 1775. This means Quaker farmer Samuel Atkinson, who sold some of the first parcels to Black people in Timbuctoo, beginning in 1829 attended meeting for worship in this very building, potentially sitting on benches the remain in use today. Weston's presentation resonated as he spoke of his ancestors' tangible benefits received from Quaker families that facilitated their settlement in Timbuctoo.
The Timbuctoo Historical Society typically gets multiple invitations to speak at local history events sponsored by historical societies, civic organizations and schools each year, as well as applying to speak at statewide and national
conferences sponsored by professional associations of historians or genealogists.
In 2025 we participated in 24 events, reaching approximately 1216 individuals. Highlights included the annual conference of the National Genealogical Society in Louisville, Kentucky in May, the New Jersey History and Historic Preservation Conference in June, as well as the Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology, in November. Most other presentations are local to southern New Jersey.
Timbuctoo on Network TV
We spent several hours across two days with a national network reporter and cameraman in May 2024. It was a pleasure to work with Archeologist Dr. Christopher Barton, our family matriarch Mary Weston, Murray matriarch Rose Ball, with her granddaughter and great granddaughter, as well as Joyce Couch, Dorothea Couch, and Lou Rogers. This feature ran on June 12, 2024. Three additional broadcasts occurred in February 2025 and June 2025.
Ground Pentetrating Radar
With funding from the New Jersey Historical Commission, we worked with Richard Grubb and Associates, who used ground penetrating radar (GPR) to confirm that no gravesites outside the legal boundary of the cemetery other than those already identified in a Westampton Township-funded analysis in 2009. With this confirmation, we can proceed with installation of fencing with support from a corporate contribution. As of June 2024, we are awaiting the final GPR report, which will also also identify a more precise location for the AME Zion Church that was formerly located on the front of the cemetery lot, as well as other information that is useful for archeological research and interpretive planning. We will provide additional information about our interpretive planning grant in a future update.
A second part of the project was using GPR to identify the footprint of our ancestral family home somewhere in my mother's backyard:-). Images from 1930 and 1941 aerial photography identify a location for the home which is consistent with our family's oral history. (My great grandmother was the last of her generation to live there and she was born in 1902. Her great-grandfather purchased the parcel in 1829. We assume, but can't be certain, that the 1930/1941 dwelling is the one built in 1829). This assessment was only partially conclusive. Our current plan is to further confirm the location, then excavate the location in 2025. Needless to say, we are excited of the prospect of learning more about Timbuctoo history through through archeological findings from our ancestral home.
Curriculum Development
We are continuing our curriculum development project with funding from Burlington County and have several activities planned for the Fall, including development of a children's book for elementary school students. The book will be written by Advanced Placement (AP) African American History students under supervision of teachers experienced with children's books, and illustrated by art students, both from Rancocas Valley Regional High School (RVRHS). Pictured to the left is a clip of the current AP African American History class that I spoke to on May 31, 2024. This was, by far, the most inquisitive and talkative high school class I've ever spoken to....but then, I've never spoken to an AP class. Kudos to their teacher, Cheryl Cliver for stimulating their curiosity and keeping them engaged.
We also presented to AP African American History classes at RVRHS in September 2024 and September 2025.
