Free Black Americans lived in NJ’s Timbuctoo decades before Juneteenth — but the history is falling apart

In the spirit of Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved Black people in the U.S., a historic free Black community in Burlington County is fighting to keep its story alive while facing decades of neglect.

Timbuctoo, New Jersey, was founded by formerly enslaved people nearly 200 years ago — long before June 19, 1865. It remains home to descendants like Guy Weston and his mother, Mary Giles Weston, now 89, who still hold treasured family documents and memories of the land their ancestors built.

Through the Timbuctoo Historical Society, Weston’s family has protected the community’s Civil War cemetery, believed to be the only above-ground evidence of this once-thriving settlement. But residents say local leaders in Westampton Township have failed to preserve the rest.

“They plugged some potholes last year for Juneteenth, but not for residents,” Weston said, pointing to crumbling streets and vacant homes that he says could be turned into a museum honoring Timbuctoo’s legacy.

The township acquired one such property from an affordable housing developer with plans to create that museum, but more than a decade later, the home still sits empty—leaving neighbors frustrated by what they call broken promises.

“We didn’t want to ignore the past… we wanted it to be part of our present,” Weston added.

CBS News Philadelphia reached out to township officials for comment. This story will be updated with their response.