Tours
2nd Sunday of Every Month
12pm - 3pm
What's Happening at Craven Hall?
This is the actual vessel used at the Johnsville Centrifuge to help put man on the moon!
Though John Fitch never saw great success in life for his brilliant innovations, we honor his creation of the first mechanical means of transportation – the steamboat, crafted while he was living here in Warminster – at our John Fitch Steamboat Museum. Celebrating that same spirit of invention and tenacity, several artifacts will soon be on display from our friends at Johnsville Centrifuge & Science Museum! From the steamboat to the stars, some truly historic achievements ”got off the ground” right here in our community! Learn more at one of our open houses, second Sunday of every month.
Craven Hall and the John Fitch Steamboat Museum is open for house tours. Please visit us on the second Sunday of every month.
We would be thrilled to have you!
Please send an email to boardofdirectors@craven-hall.org and we will get in touch about the details of your event and if Craven Hall or the John Fitch Steamboat Museum fit your needs!
The Historic Gem in the Heart of Warminster
Craven Hall is a stately Federal/Greek Revival home built in stages between 1790 and 1845 and serves as the headquarters of the Craven Hall Historical Society, Inc. The house is located on a ¾ acre plot at the southeast corner of Street and Newtown Roads in Warminster, PA. Craven Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
An adjacent 1920’s era carriage house/garage on the property houses the John Fitch Steamboat Museum dedicated to the inventor of the world’s first commercial steamboat in 1790.
The Craven Hall Historical Society, Inc. owns and operates Craven Hall, The John Fitch Steamboat Museum and the nearby Craven/Vansant Burying Ground. The Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to providing education programs and conducting events to highlight late 18th and early 19th century life in this history-rich area of Bucks County, PA.
Home of the John Fitch Steamboat Museum
John Fitch, a native of Windsor, Conn. born in 1743, was a mechanical genius whose patience and perseverance overcame incredible obstacles in conceiving, building and operating the world’s first commercial steamboat. It traveled nearly three thousand miles on the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Trenton in 1790, but failed to attract the financial backing he needed to succeed.
Of course, steam travel would go on to change the course of history. Fitch’s technological breakthrough – here in our backyard – was ahead of its time!
Discover more about his fascinating life and achievements.
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Craven Hall eLibrary Project
We are building a digital resource based on our library, which contains books, records, diaries, and more dating back to the mid-18th century.
If you are interested in learning more about our library and archives, please contact us today or stop by Craven Hall. We are open on the second Sunday of every month!
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