Lizzie Hatch wasn't a witch, exactly, although every room in her house near Barnet Center was said to be filled with drying herbs. She knew the medicinal qualities of birch oil and feverwort and her small house was perfumed with the sweetness of thyme and lavender. She knew all the plants in the local woods and travelled over the area gathering herbs which she gave to those who sought her and the plants' healing powers.
Before Lizzie Hatch died in 1881, Mary E. Wilkins wrote a short story "A Gatherer of Simples" based on the Barnet resident. Historian Frederic Wells wrote that although she lived alone, people always sought her out, especially for the salve she made which had a "wonderful medicinal quality."
Lizzie Hatch is just one of hundreds of stories you can learn about at Barnet's historic Goodwillie House Museum. The Museum serves as a showcase of domestic artifacts from the area's history. Linens, furniture, kitchen wares and tools are displayed throughout the many rooms of the house.
The Museum will be open for tours this Saturday, August 12, from 10 until 3.
The Goodwillie House Museum is located on Barnet Center Road just a quarter mile north of the West Barnet Road.
The admission is free