The executive director of the Erie County Historical Society-Hagen History Center will retire at the end of the year.

George Deutsch informed the Board of Directors this week of his retirement effective Dec. 31, according to a news released.

“When George was hired in 2016, we only had the Battles properties, the Watson-Curtze Mansion and the Carriage House open,” said Board President Kelly Montefiori. "During George’s tenure, we renovated and constructed buildings, installed more than 20 new exhibits, consolidated our impressive archives and positioned interactive displays throughout the museum. We also expanded our staff from six to 18 employees.”

During his time with the Historical Society, the Hagen History Center purchased and renovated the 5,500-square-foot Wood-Morrison House. It houses exhibits that tell the stories of men and women involved in Erie County’s military and naval history along with a gallery of the Erie Extension Canal that ran next to the building in the 1800s. In 2021, the recently built 6,000-square-foot new exhibit building opened to the public.

Deutsch also helped acquire artifacts including Oliver Hazard Perry’s telescope and related items, which are on display in the Welcome Gallery. He also helped gather Erie-County-related Civil War objects, images, books and interactive exhibits.

Deutsch, who is an Erie native, worked to preserve the Hagen History Center’s Battles properties in Girard and coordinated the installation of a state historic marker honoring Charlotte Elizabeth Battles.

The museum recently added iconic architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s original San Francisco office as a walk-through exhibit in the museum's newest exhibit building.

Deutsch is currently working on a 2022 expansion of the museum’s new exhibit building. The second floor will showcase Erie County’s evolution through immigrant settlements and the introduction of homegrown industries.

There will be a national search for Deutsch’s replacement. The board plans to name an interim executive director in November.