Historic Building In Hatfield Could Be Demolished For Townhomes

HATFIELD BOROUGH, PA — Community advocates and historical preservation groups are protesting a new residential development proposal in Hatfield that they say would harm the historic character of the borough.

A 15-unit townhome has been proposed at the site of the former Estate of Geo. S. Snyder building on Market Street. The development calls for the demolition of the lot, which was constructed in 1939. For decades it served as the area's essential hardware store.

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"In a time before Lowes and Home Depot (the Snyder building) was the store that the people of Hatfield and surrounding communities shopped at for supplies to maintain their homes," the Hatfield Museum and History Society shared in a recent statement. "In addition to hardware, the store sold lumber to build Hatfield’s homes, coal to heat them, and feed for the animals raised on Hatfield’s farms."

The Society says that two recent community surveys demonstrated the importance of maintaining the borough's historic character.

The Snyders eventually moved their store to a new building on Cowpath Road in 1971, where they remained until they shut down in 2004.

A public hearing on the proposal is set for June 17 at 7 p.m. at the Hatfield Borough municipal building.