New Hatfield History Museum Now Open to Public!

On August 21, 2020, the Hatfield Museum and History Society opened their new Hatfield History Museum to the public. The museum, dedicated to preserving Hatfield’s history, has been the dream of the Society ever since it was formed back in 1991. Although several buildings were considered over the almost past three decades, none panned out. When State Rep. Robert Godshall retired in 2018, the building at 1702 Cowpath Road that served as his office for many years was vacated. The building, owned by Hatfield Township, was slated for demolition, but the Society saw its potential as a local history museum and, with support from both Hatfield Township and Hatfield Borough, the Society began plans to renovate the building. Renovations started in July 2019 and continued until the end of January 2020, when the Society started furnishing the building and assembling displays. As plans to open drew close, work came to a screeching halt as COVID-19 paralyzed the nation. When the county opened up, the Society again returned to readying the museum for the public. And as of August 21, the museum was opened to the public, although to minimize the risks associated with the current pandemic, it is open by appointment only in order to limit the number of guests in the museum at any one time, and enable social distancing of guests. The museum features six display cases filled with artifacts from Hatfield past, four large wall-mounted television screens with non-stop photo presentations, and walls covered in photos and other memorabilia. One display case is currently dedicated to spotlighting the history of the Geo. S. Snyder business which served the community for 110 years. This display will change a few times a year, focusing on a different area of Hatfield history. There is also a research room with shelves of books to peruse, and a public computer station where the Society’s digital files are available. The museum hours are currently Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 am to 8 pm, and Saturday from 9 am to noon, but may change in the future as needed. Visits to the museum can be scheduled through the Society’s website, www.hatfieldhistory.com, or by calling 215-362-0428.