Contact: Kara O’Keeffe, Wisconsin Historical Society
kara.okeeffe@wisconsinhistory.org
Town Of Greenville, Wisconsin – The Wisconsin Historical Society placed the South Greenville Grange No. 225 (Town of Greenville, Outagamie County) on the State Register of Historic Places on August 18, 2017.
The South Greenville Grange No. 225 is significant for its history as a Grange hall, specifically the local subsidiary of the national farmers’ organization, the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry. The objective of the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was to educate the American farmer in sound farm practices as well as provide a place for socialization. What began as an educational and social organization quickly became a farm lobby for a brief period, when in the 1870s the Grange led the fight against the monopolistic grain storage and transportation companies, to alleviate the plight of the American farmer who was being squeezed by the price fixing of the railroads and elevator monopolies.
This building, constructed in 1928, has a large auditorium with a stage on the second floor, and a dining room, kitchen and other service spaces on the first floor. While the building served the Greenville Grange organization, it also served the social and entertainment needs of the entire Greenville area. The Greenville Grangers hosted community dinners, dances and performances. In addition, other community organizations were able to host their meetings and functions within the Greenville Grange facility. The South Greenville Grange played an important role in the community and continues as the oldest surviving, functioning Grange organization in the state of Wisconsin. The Greenville Grange is an important landmark that conveys the community’s historical cultural identity.
The State Register is Wisconsin’s official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin’s heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society administers both the State Register and National Register in Wisconsin.
To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.
About Wisconsin Historical Society: The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
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