A little history of the building that is now the Grange Hall.
According to Ann May Meacham, author of “The Baptist Church of Meridian New York – 1810-1988,” the First Baptist Church of Lysander was founded in 1817 and admitted to the Cayuga Baptist Association in the same year. The membership of the church was made up of members of the First Baptist Church of Cato, now Meridian Baptist Church, and converts in the area of 69 members. The Second Baptist Church of Lysander was located at Cold Springs and was formed in 1818.
The church flourished and in 1932 they submitted their report to the newly formed Onondaga Baptist Convention that they were going to build a house of worship. This building was built in 1833 and the auditorium would seat 300; the pulpit was on the east side of the building, and the balcony wrapped around the south, west, and north sides of the building. We can still see the remnants of the balcony today in the raised platform in the Grange meeting room. When the church disbanded at this time, it is unknown why or what happened.
I asked my Grandmother Cook if she ever went to the Grange when it was used for a church. Her reply was that the church was opened for a funeral she attended. The person who died was not in good standing with the Methodist Church and they needed a large place for the funeral so John Farnham, the local undertaker, had the building opened for services. Grandma couldn’t remember the year.
But what is important about the building is that we are now sitting in what could possibly be the oldest place of public assembly in the Town of Lysander and maybe Onondaga County.
The Lamson Grange was organized on May 2, 1889, 56 years after the building was built.
They met at the home of Peter Wood of Lamson with C.E. Hall, the Grange advisor, and with 25 members who became Charter Members These Charter Members were:
- Mr. and Mrs. John Bellows
- Mr. and Mrs. William Bellows
- Stephan Chase
- Mr. and Mrs. William Dann
- Mr. and Mrs. William Ellison
- Mr. and Mrs. Frank Henkle
- Mr. and Mrs. George Palmer
- Mr. and Mrs. Orrin Reynolds
- Mr and Mrs. A.M. Rice
- Mr. and Mrs. Fred Spencer
- Peter Wood
- F.P. Wood
- Mr. and Mrs. M.M. Wright
Lamson Grange held their meetings at members’ homes on the first and third Tuesday evenings of the month. On January 5, 1897, the meeting was held at the home of Sister Alice Reynolds, with C.E. Hall present to install the officers with M.M. Wright as Master. A chicken pot pie supper accompanied this installation.
By September 1897, it was voted to rent rooms from L.E. Scriber at Lamson, with certain stipulations: A room was designated as a dining room 21’x23′, also a room known as a sitting room, and a connecting hall. Said Scriber was to furnish all fuel and see to the heating and lighting, and to make convenient for the Grange, when necessary, to cook and wash dishes. A room known as the ballroom was to be available to said Grange, when needed, on special occasions (notice to be given one week in advance). Said Scriber was also to furnish a shed or bar room and all necessities used by the Grange, except the dishes and organ, all this for the sum of $50 per year. In 1900 the rent was reduced to $40 a year.
Things must not have been going well with L.E. Scriber as on December 1901, the Grange met at Brother Will Dann’s with the minutes reading “until somebody offers us a better place.” The better place was not found for awhile, and in December 1902, the Grange voted to go back to Scriber Hall.
In 1904, the Grange moved to the north side of Lamson Road and rented Thompson’s Hall for their meetings. It looks like they remained at Thompson’s Hall until 1914 when they moved back to Scriber Hall.
On July 25, 1925, a committee consisting of Floyd Coates, Stephan Chase, and John G. Horner was appointed to negotiate for the old church building in Jacksonville. The Friendly Hand Society had owned the property for some years and the organization was not meeting any more. The Friendly Hand Society was one of the many Insurance Societies of the time. They were basically interested in Health Insurance. Floyd Coates was very familiar with the property as he had put the second floor on the building in 1911, which consisted of filling in the floor space between the balconies. The Friendly Hand Society used to rent the building out to other organizations and individuals.
The agreed upon price was $800 and the first Grange meeting was held in September 1925. The final payment for the property was made August 3, 1926. In 1926 and 1927, the stage was built and the dining room remodeled.
In 1941 new stairs were built; wider doors installed, wiring upgraded, and they started work on a new kitchen.
In 1951 new siding was placed on the Grange with our Charter Member Brother Steve Chase nailing on the first shingle.
In 1962 new regalia was purchased from card party money.
In 1963 the Grange Hall was moved to its present location as Onondaga County wanted to straighten out Lamson Road and it would go right through the Grange Hall. At this time, restrooms were added in the basement of the Hall, and the kitchen was expanded. Clifford Voorhees, a retired carpenter, oversaw the project. During the months of June, July, and August we met in the Lysander Grange Hall.
In 1986 Lysander Grange #1391 turned in their charter and the members were given the opportunity to join another grange We welcomed most of the members into Lamson Grange.
In 1988 a chairlift was purchased to make the second floor more accessible to the handicapped and elderly. In 1990 a heating system was installed in the first floor in member of William L. Williamson. In 1991 the kitchen was remodeled in memory of Wilbur Horner, and restrooms were installed on the first floor so that you did not have to go down to the basement These projects were supervised by Donald Pittsley, with the help of many volunteers.
In 193, with a donation of siding and volunteers under the direction of Donald Pittsley, three sides of the building were sided. Since then a fire escape was repaired and the back of the Hall was resided. A new metal roof was also installed and a new well was drilled.
In 2015, a new handicap ramp was built on the front entrance of the Grange Hall.
The Lamson Grange Hall is truly a meeting place for the community and hosts many events in the community for the benefit of the Grange and others. The Grange Hall is opened for bereavement luncheons, showers, and other events. Outside the Fire House in Lysander and the Little Utica United Methodist Church, we are the only hall available to be used in the northwestern part of Onondaga County. We are the only hall with a stage left in this section.
We have great work to be done in our community, and the Grange has been a leader for 126 years to see that this work is done.
By John G. Horner II, grandson of John G. Horner, Son of Wilbur C. Horner, and father of John G. Horner III