Hattieville was started as a refugee camp after Hurricane Hattie struck Belize City on October 31, 1961. This was the same hurricane that prompted the Government of British Honduras to move the capital to a new location, Belmopan City.
George Price announced the plan to construct Hattieville[1]. So the Mennonite Disaster Service offered to begin building the long barracks. The Mennonites also opened a clinic and a chapel.[2]
Initially a dozen or so long barracks were constructed on the north side of Hector Creek, referred to as the old village. The village degenerated into a slum and was derogatorily called "Cattleville". But then in the 1980s the government started issuing individual lots and constructed a school on the south side of the creek where the main part of Hattieville is today, then called "New Hattieville".[1][3]
In 2002 the new Hattieville Prison (now Belize Central Prison) was constructed just a few miles from Hattieville.[4]
Hattieville was named after the Hurricane Hattie that slammed into British Honduras and claimed hundreds of lives in 1961.
"Operation New Horizons" under the Louisiana Army National Guard built two additional school rooms at the Hattieville Government School in 2007.[5]
The Pilgrim Fellowship in Hattieville was established in 1962. The congregation started as a result of outreach by Amish Mennonite Aid following Hurricane Hattie.[6]
In 2017 the Pilgrim Fellowship was a member of the Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship and had a membership of 64.[6]