John Fitch's Steamboat on the Delaware

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Who We Are

John Fitch Steamboat Museum, Inc. is a non-profit organization in association with the Craven Hall Historical Society, Inc., whose mission is to establish a museum that will house exhibits depicting the adventuresome life of John Fitch and the steamboat that he invented. The museum will include a six-foot long, steam operated model of the first steamboat service in the world that carried both passengers and freight.  That first commercial steamboat made three round trips on the Delaware River, each week, between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Trenton, New Jersey, during the summer of 1790.  This commercial steamboat traveled at up to 8 miles per hour up the river, this being twice the speed of the first commercial steamboat, of Robert Fulton, that traveled the Hudson River 17 years later.

The museum is located on the grounds of Craven Hall, which are located on the southeast corner of the intersection of Street and Newtown Roads in Warminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Our History

The effort was begun with several interested parties within the Craven Hall Historical Society.  It was determined that John Fitch deserved more recognition in the area for the impact that he had on the development of the country, and that something needed to be done to teach our youth and other citizens about the accomplishments of this man.

In 2007, a non-profit corporation was established in association with Craven Hall Historical Society, Inc.  The Craven Hall Historical Society focuses on the Historic Craven Hall and the history of Warminster Township, where it is located. John Fitch built his first model steamboat in Warminster and later tested it on a pond in the area.  The organization is utilizing a garage located on the Craven Hall property and converting it into the museum.  There are many efforts in progress to establish and develop the museum.  The goal is to have a museum that is fully operational before the 300th anniversary of the establishment of Warminster Township in 2011.

For additional information,

For more information, please contact:

The John Fitch Steamboat Museum, Inc.

S.E. corner of Street and Newtown Roads

P.O. Box 2042, Warminster, PA 18974

215-675-4698

Last Updated:24 Jun 2008