Westfield Area Historical Society

The Westfield Area Historical Society, founded in 1979, is a not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and documenting the rich history of Westfield, PA and the neighborhood communities, including Sabinsville, Cowanesque, Potter Brook, Brookfield, North Fork, serving both Tioga and Potter Counties.

Settled in 1809, the area has a rich past in people, transportation, and business. The Robert E. Dibble Museum on West Main Street is run by volunteers and open by appointment. The museum houses a diverse range of documents, books, genealogical records, and artifacts that reflect the area’s cultural heritage.

The Society has a website www.westfieldpahistoricalsociety.org and is a 501(c)3 organization. The Society owns the Flower Boxes on Main Street that various businesses sponsor. We coordinate the town Christmas tree display and Nativity scene each December bringing festive spirit to Westfield.

The Veteran’s Banner program is a particularly cherished initiative, with 136 banners displayed throughout the streets from May to November to honor veterans, both living and deceased. These banners are purchased by family or friends, and the Society works closely with the American Legion to coordinate names for the Military Honor Board. This banner project is continually expanding.

A few years ago, the museum began storing newspaper volumes from the Free Press Courier (since 1878) and the Tioga Agitator (since the 1860s). Some of the artifacts we have collected over the years include military uniforms, books on local histories, items that were used in the tannery and tannery laboratory as well as print advertising and employee recognition items from the long-standing tannery, senior class pictures from the area schools, items from local doctor offices and pharmacies, farming and mechanics tools, and memorabilia from former organizations and clubs just to name a few. Many of the museum’s items are unique, with few duplicates, and the collection continues to grow through gifts from estates and community members.

As an ongoing process, the Historical Society executives work closely with the residential population whenever they request information and research into their personal genealogy by sharing any records, lists that we have categorized and continue to organize into ready information as well as all of the continuing digital record keeping – all in an effort to ensure that any facts, pictures and historical notes, newspapers, books are never lost to time. 

2026 fundraiser:

(1) Moving a 1914 school bell from its original roof home and having it cleaned and sandblasted then placing it in a new site in front of the school. This 900-pound bell arrived in Westfield via train from the E.W.A. Rowles company in Chicago and has been on top of the former Westfield High School and later the elementary school since its arrival. It will be removed by crane and then transported by the company restoring it by sandblasting and a powdercoat application to all of the exposed surfaces as well as the cradle. The final display area will be built so that it will support the bells weight. A bronze plate will be installed. If funding allows, landscaping will be established.

(2) purchase archival storage boxes for our newspaper collection to preserve their delicate state. This includes the Westfield Free Press, the Knoxville Courier, and the Tioga Agitator.  The bound newspaper books vary in size, and the prices range from $45 to $80 each storage box

Previously, Raise the Region funds helped WAHS get a new roof for the museum, purchase paint for our flower boxes and helped with minor repairs needed for the building.