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  Welcome to the

HISTORY - The Fairfield Knife Co.

“Finest Quality Cutlery”

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A Hartzell advertisement from the September 29, 1896, "Gettysburg Compiler" newspaper.
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It is hard to believe that Main Street, Fairfield, once had a flourishing iron industry; however, on the site of a former blacksmith shop, Emmert Hartzel erected his knife factory in 1891.  It was possibly at this same smithy that Hartzell had served an apprenticeship and became interested in making knives.  At any rate, neither the blacksmith shop nor the knife factory exist today, having been replaced by the old Fairfield Garage building at 110 East Main Street.

​As fate would have it, Hartzell outgrew his Fairfield location and in 1901 built a new factory in Gettysburg along the railroad opposite the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad station.  Several years later, Hartzell sold the business to Roy Dougherty, an employee, who in turn moved the cutlery enterprise to Reading, PA and formed the Columbia Cutlery Co.
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Mission

The mission of the Fairfield Area Historical Society is to help preserve and protect our historical heritage.  The Society will identify and acquire artifacts and information of historical significance to our area.

Thank you

The Fairfield Area Historical Society would like to thank Matthew Jenkins for his contribution of much of the content for this site, Rhonda Myers for the design of our logo and site, Fairfield Auto Service and Mansion House, our sponsors.
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108 West Main Street
​P.O. Box 263
Fairfield, PA 17320 
(717) 642-5640
[email protected]

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Site designed by Rhonda Myers.