When longtime Vineyard resident and farmer Jim Athearn reflects on what the Grange Hall means to him, it’s simple.
“It’s home,” he said.
Located in the heart of West Tisbury, the Grange Hall has been the center of the community for more than 150 years, hosting the annual Vineyard Artisan Festivals, film screenings and numerous community events. The annual agricultural fair was held at the Grange Hall going back to the 1850s before moving to a different location.
The Vineyard Preservation Trust is currently spearheading the Grange Hall Project to repair the building, which is in need of a multi-million dollar facelift.
The main concerns are the roof and the trusses. According to Nevette Previd, executive director of the Trust, the trusses have been compromised due to moisture problems coming from the building’s foundation, leading to rotting within the floor beams.
The first phase of the project is a $2.3 million fundraising endeavor planned to last through the end of the year. Under this phase, the Trust looks to repair the roof and trusses, and restore historic gingerbread house details. About $800,000 has been raised so far.
“Everything’s in play right now and every penny counts in these sorts of things,” Ms. Previd said.
The second phase of the project is projected to begin after phase one in 2026, costing $850,000. This phase will entail more minor repairs, such as window reconstruction and HVAC repairs.
Funding is planned to come from various avenues such as community fundraising events and auctions held by the Trust, grants from historical preservation societies and philanthropic donations.
The Grange Hall was built in 1859 by Moses C. Vincent of Chilmark and was the first agricultural hall on the Island. It was constructed to primarily be the venue for the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society and its now renowned agricultural fair.
The agricultural fair moved from the Grange Hall to the current Agricultural Hall in 1995 due to lack of space. In 1997, the Trust bought the building from the town for $300,000. In 1999, the “old” Agricultural Hall was officially renamed the Grange Hall to eliminate confusion between the two buildings and to honor the Martha’s Vineyard chapter of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, which had gathered at the hall since 1905 when the chapter started.
The Grange is a national social organization promoting a prosperous economic landscape for farmers and the agriculture sector. The West Tisbury Grange No. 251 disbanded in 2011.
The Grange Hall’s purpose of gathering the town together has stayed consistent though since its inception. Potluck dinners and Christmas parties have turned into art shows, festivals and occasional weddings.
“So many people have come and gone within these walls and I think there’s such a nostalgia and sentiment for keeping it as a place that builds memories,” Ms. Previd said.
For Mr. Athearn, who grew up on the adjacent Music street, the Grange Hall is a vivid setting for some of his best childhood memories.
“From the Sunday before the [agricultural] fair we would just watch down the road to see the first carnival trucks come in,” Mr. Athearn told the Gazette. “It was just a great place to be. Once the fair opened, we’d spend all our time over there from the moment they were open and until, if we were old enough, to stay up at 10 to watch the guy on the pole do dangerous acrobatics.”
Vineyard artist Allen Whiting’s family history is intertwined with the society and hall. His great-grandfather Henry Whiting was the first secretary of the Agricultural Society and his mother, Jane Mayhew Whiting, was a manager of the agricultural fair for many years. He echoed similar sentimental childhood memories associated with the Grange Hall.
“We always took our sheep and cows and my brother and sister rode in the horse show,” he said. “We always had a part in it that made us feel special. My mother was instrumental in bringing the carnival to the fair and that was a big deal to us kids.”
The Grange Hall is now a home to Circuit Arts, a community arts organization dedicated to providing accessible art to Island residents year-round. Since 2021, Circuit Arts has taken up residence on the second floor, hosting film screenings and panels, educational events and live music.
Brian Ditchfield, executive director of Circuit Arts, grew up coming to the hall. He remembers watching Alfred Hitchcock films on 16-millimeter film in the very same theatre his organization now holds events at.
“The amazing thing about being in a space like this [is that] you can feel all the history here,” Mr. Ditchfield said, pointing out signatures on the wall from performers dating back to the late 1800s.
Mr. Athearn said he is thankful to the Trust for taking on the renovation project.
“You don’t want to see [the hall] disappear from our Island culture,” he said. “You hope they don’t change the character of the building and they don’t intend to, which is what they’ve always done. That’s what it’s all about.”
The Grange Hall has stood tall among the ever-changing cultural landscape of the Island, and Ms. Previd is hopeful this project preserves the building’s past, present and future.
“This whole Island feels this pulse of change,” Ms. Previd said. “There’s a real pride in the rural nature of the town and [the question is] how to balance that with the reality of today.”
For more information on the capital campaign, visit vineyardtrust.org.
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