"Millbrook Society

About the Millbrook Society

The Millbrook Society was founded in 1984 at the request of the late Mrs. Charles Harper Smith of Horsham Township, PA.  The vision of Mrs. Smith and the Society's founders was to honor the legacy of Charles Harper Smith who was a renowned local historian, educator, and author.    

The original intent of the Society was to receive and hold in trust the land and buildings that make up the Kenderdine Mill tract called "Millbrook." We also were tasked with continuing the late Charles Harper Smith's work in the areas of preservation and education of local, state, and national history. 

Due to events beyond our control, the only thing we received from the initial arrangement was our name, "Millbrook."  While we were not able to acquire the property, our mission of preservation and education of history has not changed.  In some ways, by not having a property to care for, we have been able to extend our reach into areas of history and preservation we never would have been able to reach before.  Should The Millbrook Society be offered a historic property, we will accept it and the challenges that go with ownership, providing we have the ability to cover its costs.

Throughout the years, we have worked on many projects spanning vast categories of history:

• Supervised several archaeological projects at sites throughout the area and hosted several archaeological field schools in collaboration with Penn State Abington. 

• Produced books, such as Hatboro Then & Now (2021), Saving and Restoring The Lukens Clock At the Loller Academy (2017),  a compendium of Charles Harper Smith's histories of Hatboro and Horsham with combined index (2016), and Images of America: Hatboro (1999).

• Assisted as subject matter experts in the creation of the movie documentary, The Battle of Crooked Billet.

• Led local initiatives for street-side markers placed at historic sites throughout Hatboro.  

• Education - school programs, adult education, community events, community advocacy. 

The Millbrook Society and the Amy B. Yerkes Museum are located on the second floor of the historic Hatboro Baptist Church on York Road in the heart of Hatboro.  We are open most Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30.  The Society is led by our current leadership team, including a Board of Directors, dedicated department leaders, and staff. 

We all are volunteers!  We invite current and new members to attend our programs and activities and to volunteer their time and talents to help us continue our mission-driven work.  Visit the News & Events page on our website for activities and program highlights over the year.       

OUR MISSION

The Millbrook Society is a non-profit organization that inspires passion for preserving and protecting the rich history of Hatboro and local communities.  

We achieve our mission through three interrelated activities:

PRESERVATION…by collecting and maintaining artifacts, documents, manuscripts, and maps.

PROTECTION…by archaeology, and recording and researching historical data on buildings and other assets.

EDUCATION…by presentations, programs, publications, reenactments, and related activities.