The Hay Creek Valley Historical Association (HCVHA) recently announced that it has acquired the Tri-County Heritage Library, which was originally operated by the Tri-County Heritage Society (TCHS) at its headquarters, 4979 Twin Valley Road, Elverson.
As of April 30, TCHS disbanded, and its collections were taken over by the HCVHA. This includes the documents and artifacts stored at the building in Elverson, as well as a special collection housed at the Caernarvon Township Building in Morgantown.
According to Mark Zerr, HCVHA executive director, the TCHS contacted the HCVHA in the fall of 2018 because it was having difficulty keeping the library afloat. The two organizations met the following year to discuss various options.
Finally, with the help of Brett M. Fegely, Esq., the TCHS decided to dissolve and turn all of its assets over to the HCVHA. After the legal paperwork was filed and approved by the state of Pennsylvania, the library had new owners.
Currently, the library is closed for renovation and reorganization; however, appointments can be made to visit the site on Tuesdays. The work is being done by Zerr and HCVHA member Josh Stabler of Elverson, who will be the librarian. Stabler will work closely with the new library committee, which consists of several of the former TCHS members.
Visitors to the Tri-County Heritage Library may search through various history books, magazines, journals, maps and photographs of local historical interest. These records include church, cemetery and tax records and published genealogies. The library also contains several family collections.
"Basically, people in the community will be able to come and research family names," Zerr said. "We also have various artifacts from the community. We have a Grace Mines collection, (including) photos. There is also a collection of photos from the Plank House in Morgantown, which was torn down."
The goal is to preserve these historic documents and artifacts for future generations. "The nice thing about the building we are renting is that it is temperature controlled and there is a fire suppression system," Zerr noted.
Plans call for the addition of a banner and possibly a new sign to welcome library visitors. "We kept the name, because the records are from the tri-county - Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties," Zerr said. "We plan on making a welcome area with a mini museum and mini gift shop. Once (the building is) remodeled and reorganized, we are looking expand our hours."
A grand reopening celebration will be held in October. "We want to invite the public to come out and see the library and see what it's all about," said Zerr. There will be a display about the library at the Hay Creek Festival, to be held from Friday, Sept. 10, through Sunday, Sept. 12, at Historic Joanna Furnace.
For further information, email info@haycreek.org or call the Tri-County Heritage Library at 610-286-7477.
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