Legacy

Although Pearl S. Buck wrote prolifically during her time in both China and the U.S., her life in America was also marked by her fearless activism for civil rights and equal rights, as well as her continual efforts on behalf of the Chinese people and of interracial children. Before her death in 1973, Buck saw that her birthplace home – a constant in her transient life – was preserved so that the rich stories and delightful artifacts may “serve as a gateway to new thoughts and dreams and ways of life.”

In 1949, Pearl founded Welcome House in order to find homes for thousands of mixed-race children who had been fathered by American Servicemen in Asia. Later, in 1964, she established the Pearl S. Buck Foundation (now called Pearl S. Buck International) to provide foster care for Ameri-Asian children who could not be adopted by American families. The organization, located in Perkasie, Pennsylvania continues Buck’s charitable work for children and cultural understanding.

If your family or organization is interested in helping to continue Buck’s rich legacy, we invite you to contribute to the preservation of the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace through monetary donations or by volunteering.