Hatfield House

Hatfield House is a place for the Strawberry Mansion community to create, gather, learn, and inspire.

Hatfield House is an 18th century home that today serves as a modern arts hub and a community gathering space in Fairmount Park. Known to locals as “the big white house,” Hatfield House offers rotating exhibits, hosts public and private events, and is committed to supporting its Strawberry Mansion neighbors.

Hatfield House was built in the 1760s for the prominent Naglee family at Hunting Park and Pulaski Avenues in what’s now the Nicetown neighborhood. It is Fairmount Park’s only all-wood structure. The Greek Revival portico featuring five Ionic columns was added in the 1830s.

The house takes its name from Dr. Nathan Hatfield, who purchased the building as a summer retreat in the 1850s. Hatfield’s father served in the War of 1812 and his grandfather was a Revolutionary War officer. The property eventually passed to Dr. Hatfield’s youngest son, Dr. Henry Hatfield, who donated the building to the city in 1930. The structure was moved to East Fairmount Park floor by floor.

The building was underused until 2017, when Fairmount Park Conservancy created a one-year Community Catalyst Artist Residency as a way to engage neighbors in the events happening behind its white picket fence and to give them a say in its programming. The artists-in-residence, Amber Arts Collective, presented a project that involved dozens of hours of interviews with Strawberry Mansion residents to determine what they want to see happening in their neighborhood and their park.

Hatfield House is a place for the Strawberry Mansion community to create, gather, learn, and inspire. If you are interested in hosting an event at Hatfield House, please fill out this online application.

Hatfield House is owned by the city and maintained by the Fairmount Park Conservancy.