Griggs Grange No. 1467

The Griggs Grange No. 1467 is a historic Grange hall located near the village of Jefferson in rural Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. Constructed in the 1890s and occupied by a local Grange since its early years, it has been named a historic site.

Griggs Grange No. 1467
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Northern side and front
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Nearest city	Jefferson, Ohio
Coordinates	41°47′19″N 80°42′47″W
Area	0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
NRHP reference No.	95001414[1]
Added to NRHP	December 13, 1995

The building's construction date is uncertain; its first recorded appearance occurred in the early 1890s.[2] Although once used as a house of worship,[1] it has been home to the Griggs Grange since the chapter's founding in April 1897.[2] It was one of almost 850 Ohio agricultural organizations recorded in 1907 by the Interstate Commerce Commission.[3] The group continues meeting in the hall, with most of its finances arising from fundraisers such as raffles.[2] Nationally, Grange membership dropped by 40% between 1992 and 2007,[4] and Ashtabula County's membership has paralleled the national trend; the 1907 Interstate Commerce Commission recorded four Grange chapters in the vicinity of Jefferson alone,[3] but just seven existed countywide in late 2009, at which time Griggs' membership had fallen to the teens.[2] Nevertheless, the group remains active; the statewide Grange organization recognized Griggs for its community service in 2013.[5]

Built of wood, the Grange hall is covered with an asphalt roof and rests on a stone foundation.[1] It is a simple gable-front structure with three side windows. The roof projects over the gable to form eaves, while the entrance is set in the center of the gable, sheltered by a tiny roof with simple structural brackets.[6]

In late 1995, the Griggs Grange was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, qualifying because of its place in local history. It is one of five National Register-listed locations in and around Jefferson, and one of nearly forty such sites countywide.[1]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Feather, Carl E. "Griggs Grange Still Holding On", Star Beacon, 2009-11-09. Accessed 2014-12-31.
3. List of National, State, and Local Commercial Organizations and National, State, and Local Agricultural Associations, Interstate Commerce Commission, 1907, 244.
4. Krishnan, Sonia. "Beyond Potlucks", The Seattle Times, 2007-07-29. Accessed 2007-10-09.
5. Eckert, Dorothy. "Silver Star Community Reports". Ohio Granger 2013-03/04. Accessed 2014-12-31.
6. Griggs Grange No. 1467, Ohio Historical Society, 2007. Accessed 2010-02-14.