hatfield historical society

Welcome to the Hatfield Historical Society website in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Check out upcoming and past Events, virtual exhibits (see below), featured items from the Town of Hatfield's Collections (also below), items to purchase in our museum shop (under the Contact Us tab) and our blog, "bird by bird." We look forward to seeing you!
(If you're looking for the Hatfield Museum & History Society in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, that's not us!)

Join Our Spring Raffle!

Four great prizes offered by local businesses,
tickets accepted until March 24, drawing on March 25th!
Check out the details on the prizes HERE.
Download and print out tickets HERE.
Enter early and often, and thanks for your support!

Dickinson Memorial Hall, built in 1894 to house items important to Hatfield history, now holds the public library on the 1st floor and the museum on the 2nd floor.

Hatfield Historical Museum (2nd floor)
39 Main St., Hatfield, MA 01038
Open Tuesdays (1-2:30 pm);
the last Saturday of the month (9:30-11:00 am); and by appointment.
Closed in December and January and on holidays, including Thanksgiving weekend.

Curator: Meg Baker
Collections Assistant: Meredith Baker

Current Exhibits:
Booze, Schmooze and News: Remembering Hatfield Taverns and Clubs
Hatfield Vietnam Veterans Share Their Stories
Through Marian's Eyes: A Red Cross Canteen Worker Recounts World War I
Out of the Darkness: A History of Illumination in Hatfield
Some Things Never Change: Kitchen tools through time

Virtual Exhibits:
1) The Lost Slides of L.H. Kingsley
2) Nothing But Net - Smith Academy Falcons in 1960 and 1961
3) Fifty Years Later -- Hatfield Vietnam War Veterans Share Their Stories.
The last two are ongoing projects, and we'd like to add your stories!:
4) Hatfield Tobacco Stories
5) and the Hatfield Covid-19 Collection

Check out our newest virtual exhibit, Celebrating Multi-generational Family Farms!

The Farm Museum is housed in a restored tobacco shed between the elementary school and the cemetery, behind Memorial Hall

Hatfield Farm Museum
7 Billings Way (off Main St.), Hatfield, MA
Open Saturdays Memorial Day - Columbus Day (12- 2 pm)
and by appointment, in season.

Curator: George Ashley
For queries, click on "Contact Us" link above.

Current Exhibits:
Farm Tools and Agricultural Work

Our six fall 2021 virtual programs, covering transcribing handwritten documents and doing historical research on families and houses, can now be viewed on our YouTube channel. You can also watch our Veterans Day program there -- sharing stories from some of Hatfield's Vietnam War veterans. Check our Events and/or our Volunteers pages for descriptions and how to sign up as a volunteer..

We are grateful to the Mass Cultural Council for on-going support through a Cultural Sector Recovery Grant!

Support the Hatfield Historical Society by voting for us in Florence Bank's Customers' Choice Community Grants. You don't need to wait until year-end, you can vote right now, type in Hatfield Historical Society, and be done with it! For more info or to vote, click HERE.

To help us continue saving and sharing Hatfield history, please consider a donation or adding the Historical Society to your estate plans.

For Membership, please note which level, under Special Instructions.

For all transactions, make sure to check the box to forward your address to the Society. Thank you!

What businesses are saying about HHS

"My 88-year-old Mother is a proud Air Force Veteran. The Hatfield Historical Society has done a great job collecting and sharing veterans stories, including hers from the Vietnam War and my Uncle Kenny’s from the Korean War. They’ve also done so much to save our town’s farming history, tobacco included, as well as memories from growing up here – like skating on Hatfield ponds and celebrating Smith Academy champions. If they weren’t doing this work, it wouldn’t get done and our stories would be lost. I'm thrilled to support this important and well-led organization."
                                                          – Janet Casey, President & Founder, Marketing Doctor

Response to HHS May program and website, "A Family Affair: Celebrating Multi-Generational Farms in Hatfield":
“What a lovely presentation. I’m so glad we made time to be there. Thank you! Several customers at our farm stand commented about seeing this presentation online and how nice it was. Farms are such an important part of our community, and the Hatfield Historical Society’s program will help keep that knowledge and history alive. It’s so nice to see farmers recognized.”
                                                               – Jim and Jan Golonka, Golonka Farm

“As a long-time resident of 40 years in Hatfield, I’ve experienced first-hand the benefit of the Hatfield Historical Society. They serve an indispensable role in preserving the long and valuable history of our small town. From profiles of famous residents (Sophia Smith) to historical records and genealogy listings of generations of Hatfield families, they are an invaluable resource to our residents. They help preserve all that is special in the people, places, and land of our unique community.”
                                                              – Lisa Ekus Founding Partner, The Ekus Group

Thank You Local Businesses and Groups!

Many thanks to the following supporters for their generous donations,
which will make 2023's programs, exhibits, social media and more, possible.
Please thank them with your patronage and let them know you appreciate it!
Companies who donated at a higher level are also listed on our Partners page,
where you can directly link to their business websites.

Leadership Circle
USA Waste & Recycling / The Antonacci Family Foundation
Szawlowski Farms Agricultural Foundation Inc.

Benefactors
All States Materials Group Charitable Fund
at Community Foundation of Western MA
Bardwell Woodworking & Remodeling,
in Memory of Cory and Helen Bardwell
Czelusniak Funeral Home
Thayer Excavating, in Memory of Joan A. Thayer
Express Plumbing & Heating

Patrons
Richardson's Candy Kitchen
All Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning Inc
Center School LLC, Roberts Builders
UMass 5 College Credit Union

Advocates

Ahearn Funeral Home
Chestnut Mountain Tree Farm
The Lisa Ekus Group
Greenfield Savings Bank
Webber & Grinnell Insurance

Golonka Farm
Good Stock Farm
Lincoln Real Estate
Snow & Sons Landscaping
Wohl Family Dentistry

“As a small business owner, I recognize the importance of preserving history – many of our famous recipes were passed down from the former owners, the Richardsons. Our families are also deeply entrenched in the history of Hatfield, with my family having been here for well over 100 years, and my husband’s family farming here since 1661! The entire valley is so rich with history and we are fortunate to be able to enjoy it all – thanks to the efforts of organizations like the Hatfield Historical Society.

-- Kathie Woodward Williams,
Richardson’s Candy Kitchen, Deerfield, MA

To visit one of Hatfield's two museums on a day not normally open (see opening info below), please contact us a week or more in advance, and we will do our best to accommodate you. Also, if you are researching a particular family, site or topic, it would be helpful to know that ahead of time. Thank you. We look forward to seeing you!

The Hatfield Historical Society gratefully acknowledges and thanks Hatfield residents for their past support through our town's Community Preservation Act. CPA funding has allowed us to inventory the collection of the Hatfield Historical Museum, rehouse artifacts in archival enclosures, preserve or restore historically significant at-risk items, apply for and administer grants and share the collection with the community in multiple ways.