A new life for Whallonsburg’s old Grange
By Todd Moe | North Country Public Radio (Canton, NY)
Next week, a new season of lectures, music and theater begins at the historic grange hall in Whallonsburg, near Essex in the Champlain Valley. The century-old building, once a hub for the local farming community, is seeing a rebirth as one of the area’s cultural destinations.
Volunteers have spent years raising money, and sweat equity, to save the structure. The last stages of renovation are underway, and organizers are turning their attention to programming. Mary-Nell Bockman is one of the volunteers bringing the old grange back to life. She’s program manager for the site, and told Todd Moe that the next goal is reinventing it as a year-round center of activity for the hamlet of Whallonsburg and the Champlain Valley.
