Butler residents interested in county history first met to discuss their heritage in 1924. The group gathered informally for several decades until 1960 when, under the leadership of J. Campbell Brandon, the Butler County Historical Society became a formal organization, underpinned by a mission to collect, preserve, and interpret the documents, artifacts, and historical sites of Butler County's rich heritage for the educational benefit of the public. The IRS recognized BCHS as a 501(c)(3) private non-profit in 1974. 

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BCHS was an all-volunteer group offering events, programs, and exhibits until 1989, when BCHS Board of Directors hired its first Executive Director. The Historical Society currently operates three historic sites: the 1828 Senator Walter Lowrie House Museum, the 1838 Little Red School House, and the 1810s Cooper Cabin Homestead. BCHS also maintains a small research library and collection of documents, images, and objects that have been donated to the organization. Two staff members and a dedicated army of volunteers offer fundraising and community outreach events throughout the year, and in 2024 a professional Collections Manager was brought in to oversee organization and preservation of the items in our care.