Once there was a farm...
The tobacco shed that houses the Hatfield Farm Museum was once part of a working farm. The farm was sold to the Town of Hatfield, to make room for the new elementary school, built in 1960 directly behind the public library (and just in front of where the current one stands!) The barn stood empty, except for the tools left behind from it's working life in the 1920s - 1950s.
Then there was a vision...
In 1970, on the occasion of the town's 300th anniversary, the Hatfield Historical Society re-organized as an independent 501(c)3 non-profit, after nearly a hundred years as a civic society in town.
In the 1980s, members of the HHS began to think about the barn, and the tools, and the farming history of Hatfield. Meanwhile, agricultural implements kept finding their way to the barn behind the school.
In the 1990s, a major push was made to secure the barn as a second museum, and formally recognize the agricultural collection in the Historical Society's care. Many, many people were involved with this work.
In the 1980s, members of the HHS began to think about the barn, and the tools, and the farming history of Hatfield. Meanwhile, agricultural implements kept finding their way to the barn behind the school.
In the 1990s, a major push was made to secure the barn as a second museum, and formally recognize the agricultural collection in the Historical Society's care. Many, many people were involved with this work.
Then there was a Farm Museum!
All that work paid off! In 2000, the state and local Historical Commissions supported the Hatfield Historical Society in turning the tobacco shed into a museum dedicated to farming and all things agricultural, from asparagus to tobacco, from chickens to cows. The barn doors opened June 10, 2001, and for the past 23 years, volunteers have hosted visitors to the barn every summer. Along with the visitors, old tools and farming equipment and agricultural artifacts made their way to the barn, steadily adding to the original collection.
In 2024, the people of Hatfield voted to allocate Community Preservation Act funds for the Historical Society to conduct a full review of the contents of the Farm Museum
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This is a three-year-long project, involving carefully cleaning, examining, documenting, and photographing every single item in the barn, from nails to sleighs. Read the Daily Hampshire Gazette article outlining the project HERE!
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Meg Baker, Hatfield Historical Museum curator and Farm Museum project manager, talks about the Community Preservation Act grant in the tobacco barn housing museum artifacts.
Daily Hampshire Gazette Photo by Carol Lollis, 2024
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