After being located in a building on Twin Valley Road in Elverson since 2009, the Tri-County Heritage Library has opened at a new location.

The library, which features historical documents, artwork, photographs, newspapers and other artifacts relating to the history of Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties, opened on Aug. 12 at 219 Mill Road, Morgantown, next to Masthof Press and Bookstore.

The library, which was acquired by the Hay Creek Valley Historical Association (HCVHA) in April of 2021, is open to the public every Tuesday from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment.

"We are still putting finishing touches on things," said Mark Zerr, HCVHA executive director. "It took us two moves at two different times to keep everything organized. We (wanted) to put things right back on the shelves so we didn't spend months going through boxes."

Tribe Moving of Birdsboro, which helped facilitate the move, donated a portion of its services.

Inside the library, visitors will find an assortment of books to peruse. "We have books from Chester, Berks, Lancaster and Montgomery counties plus various books on Pennsylvania," noted Zerr. "We have books on immigration; slavery; Native Americans; and World War I, World War II, the Civil War and other wars that are available to look through."

Items that have been donated by the community are also housed in the building. "We have 40 family collections in our library and another 30 collections of businesses and nonprofit organizations," said Zerr. "A collection can include family books, documents, ledgers and photos - an assortment of things that were given to us."

Additional donations from the community are also being sought, especially items that have been made in the area. For example, one of the sections in the library features objects that were manufactured at local iron furnaces. "Our new library will also include a mini museum, which is a work in progress," Zerr said. "We are looking to collect a few pieces of furniture in our museum - something that is something unique from the community."

Other features in the library include a collection of arrowheads, old newspapers and one room that is dedicated to textiles and maps.

Area residents are invited to visit the library to research their family history or the history of local towns. "We easily have over 1,500 family names in our genealogical files," Zerr pointed out. "People can also come to learn about Morgantown and Elverson. We have information on every property in Morgantown with photos."

"A family of a worker from Grace Mines recently donated a collection, including his first aid kit and dog tag and the manuals that the mine provided to their employees," Zerr added. "A lot of families don't want this stuff; we provide an outlet for these items to keep this (local history) alive."

Zerr said the building was given a refresh before the library moved in. It is climate controlled to protect the items inside. New air-conditioning was installed along with new carpeting and LED lights. A photocopy machine is available on-site to use for a fee.

"It has a dedicated storage room for supplies. We have a small selection of maps and history books for sale. We have a worktable for people to do research," Zerr noted. "It's a big upgrade. It's actually feels like a library."

Guests may visit the library for free, but there is a research fee. HCVHA members are not required to pay the fee.

For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/TriCountyHeritageLibrary. Those with questions, including those looking for a specific item from the library, may contact Zerr at mzerr@haycreek.org.

.