Grange Hall
The Grange Hall on Maple Street ca. 1920
The Grange Hall is located at 36 Maple Street in Center Sandwich, NH.
Mt. Israel Grange No. 158 was organized on Dec. 22, 1890 when 31 men and women met at the Grand Army of the Republic Hall (located across the street from the Methodist Church) in Center Sandwich to elect and install officers.
Meetings were held at the hall until Dec. 31, 1891 when the Grange voted to buy the Quaker Meeting House, available because of the dwindling Quaker membership. The meeting house was built on land donated by Ezera Gould in 1866. The original Center Sandwich Quaker Church, located about where Bill and Connie Hoag live, was burned on Nov. 14, 1863 to protest anti-slavery and anti-war meetings held there.
The building now called the Grange Hall was remodeled in the early 1890’s by Hacker Hall of North Sandwich. A second floor was added with other improvements for its new use.
In 1906 Charles Hoyt, a contractor from Moultonborough, remodeled the building, making the lower floor into a kitchen and dining room and the upper floor for Grange meetings and programs. Otis Evans of Moultonboro built a new chimney.
“The members of the Grange set aside May 1, 1906, as Grange Day and devoted the entire day to earning money to pay for the repairs.”
In the spring of 1924 Severance Bryant “placed at the entrance of the Grange Hall a substantial platform and steps of cement.” In 1934 new kitchen cupboards were installed along with a window over the sink, and painting was done.
Things were going well in 1956 – a strong, new membership made for lively meetings, and the interior was decorated “so that both floors are now bright and pleasant.” Plans were made to paint the building. But in October, a fire lit in the stove to warm the building for the annual Woman’s Club rummage sale caused the ceiling to catch on fire. The Volunteer Fire Department quickly put it out, but smoke and water had ruined the rummage sale and the decorating job. Insurance money paid to build a furnace room, install an oil furnace, make repairs and do repainting.
Building repairs continued over the years with frequent work parties, but by the 1980’s the Grange had its troubles with dwindling membership. In 1891 the Quaker Church had been available to the Grange because only three Quakers were active at the Center. By June 1994 the Grange had so few members it could not maintain the hall, so it sold the building to the Sandwich Historical Society that month for $10.
In the fall of 1994 the Historical Society had a new roof put on the Grange Hall and rebuilt the chimney. In the spring of 1995 the windows were repaired.
The Grange had its annual picnic in July 1994 and held meetings twice a month from September to December that year. But finally, on June 17, 1995, members voted to disband Mt. Israel Grange No. 158. In 1996 a potluck dinner and program was put on by the Historical Society in the Hall, one of the first uses of the Society's new building.
In 2000 the Marston House (the Historical Society building) received a new climate control system, and the lower section of the Grange Hall was used for storage of materials.
In 2003 several programs were held upstairs in the Hall, and some Historical Society trustee meetings were held there during the summer.
In 2008 Historical Society President Tom Shevenell revived interest in making the Grange Hall into a useful resource for the society. Grant money was found to install a drainage system around the perimeter of the building and a vapor barrier in the cellar.
The Historical Society, owners ans stewards of the Hall, derives it strength from membership, as did the Quakers and the Grange. The society encourages everyone to support its mission by becoming a member.
Article written by Geoff Burrows in the Sandwich Historical Society fall 2008 newsletter.
The Grange Hall is located at 36 Maple Street in Center Sandwich, NH.
Mt. Israel Grange No. 158 was organized on Dec. 22, 1890 when 31 men and women met at the Grand Army of the Republic Hall (located across the street from the Methodist Church) in Center Sandwich to elect and install officers.
Meetings were held at the hall until Dec. 31, 1891 when the Grange voted to buy the Quaker Meeting House, available because of the dwindling Quaker membership. The meeting house was built on land donated by Ezera Gould in 1866. The original Center Sandwich Quaker Church, located about where Bill and Connie Hoag live, was burned on Nov. 14, 1863 to protest anti-slavery and anti-war meetings held there.
The building now called the Grange Hall was remodeled in the early 1890’s by Hacker Hall of North Sandwich. A second floor was added with other improvements for its new use.
In 1906 Charles Hoyt, a contractor from Moultonborough, remodeled the building, making the lower floor into a kitchen and dining room and the upper floor for Grange meetings and programs. Otis Evans of Moultonboro built a new chimney.
“The members of the Grange set aside May 1, 1906, as Grange Day and devoted the entire day to earning money to pay for the repairs.”
In the spring of 1924 Severance Bryant “placed at the entrance of the Grange Hall a substantial platform and steps of cement.” In 1934 new kitchen cupboards were installed along with a window over the sink, and painting was done.
Things were going well in 1956 – a strong, new membership made for lively meetings, and the interior was decorated “so that both floors are now bright and pleasant.” Plans were made to paint the building. But in October, a fire lit in the stove to warm the building for the annual Woman’s Club rummage sale caused the ceiling to catch on fire. The Volunteer Fire Department quickly put it out, but smoke and water had ruined the rummage sale and the decorating job. Insurance money paid to build a furnace room, install an oil furnace, make repairs and do repainting.
Building repairs continued over the years with frequent work parties, but by the 1980’s the Grange had its troubles with dwindling membership. In 1891 the Quaker Church had been available to the Grange because only three Quakers were active at the Center. By June 1994 the Grange had so few members it could not maintain the hall, so it sold the building to the Sandwich Historical Society that month for $10.
In the fall of 1994 the Historical Society had a new roof put on the Grange Hall and rebuilt the chimney. In the spring of 1995 the windows were repaired.
The Grange had its annual picnic in July 1994 and held meetings twice a month from September to December that year. But finally, on June 17, 1995, members voted to disband Mt. Israel Grange No. 158. In 1996 a potluck dinner and program was put on by the Historical Society in the Hall, one of the first uses of the Society's new building.
In 2000 the Marston House (the Historical Society building) received a new climate control system, and the lower section of the Grange Hall was used for storage of materials.
In 2003 several programs were held upstairs in the Hall, and some Historical Society trustee meetings were held there during the summer.
In 2008 Historical Society President Tom Shevenell revived interest in making the Grange Hall into a useful resource for the society. Grant money was found to install a drainage system around the perimeter of the building and a vapor barrier in the cellar.
The Historical Society, owners ans stewards of the Hall, derives it strength from membership, as did the Quakers and the Grange. The society encourages everyone to support its mission by becoming a member.
Article written by Geoff Burrows in the Sandwich Historical Society fall 2008 newsletter.
Grange Hall Curtain
"The largest known painting attributed to Quimby hangs in the Mt. Israel Grange in his home town. On the second floor, in the meeting room, is a stage almost the width of the hall. At the front of that stage, a full-size canvas curtain hangs on which Quimby painted a sweeping, backlit view of Mt. Israel from above the Bearcamp bridge on the Mt. Israel Road. In the middle ground is the Daniel Atwood House (now Papen) and in the foreground is a solitary woman by the bridge, gazing at the view. Allegedly, the figure Quimby painted was that of his childhood sweetheart, Belle Forbush, but this story is not documented. Quimby took great pains to paint an ornate gold frame on the curtain around the landscape, creating the image of a monumental framed oil painting hanging above the meeting room. Quimby also painted a plaque on the bottom of the frame, with bold letters identifying ‘Mt. Israel Grange.’ Quimby probably painted the stage curtain sometime after 1892."
From the Sandwich Historical Society Seventieth Annual Excursion, an article entitled “Fred George Quimby (1863-1923)” by Suzita C. Myers, page 10
.
From the Sandwich Historical Society Seventieth Annual Excursion, an article entitled “Fred George Quimby (1863-1923)” by Suzita C. Myers, page 10
.