Have you heard of The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry? Probably not, but you might recognize its common name: The Grange. The name is from the French word for “barn”, a necessary outbuilding on every farm. The Grange was formed in 1868, following a tour of the American South by a commissioner tasked by President Andrew Johnson to look into agricultural practices on small farms. Oliver Kelley visited farms in the former Confederate States and also in the territories and new states of the Midwest. He was horrified by farmers’ lack of knowledge about ‘progressive agriculture’. Kelley thought that if there were a national organization of farmers, that they could trade information and best practices to improve farm output and profits. Through the work of likeminded people, Grange #1 was established in Fredonia, New York. The group went national in 1873, with an office in the nation’s capital. From its start, the Grange was egalitarian, recognizing the work of women and teenagers on the farm. Every Grange was required to have at least four women among its elected officials, and teenaged boys ‘old enough to push a plow’ were permitted to join.

On January 8, 1894, the Bennington Grange was founded. The 24 founders met, with rituals and secret passwords, at the Town Hall. Ten year later, the group was much larger and wanted their own building. After fundraising, they bought the one-story building where Harmon Larkin had sold jewelry and repaired clocks since the 1850s. Members quickly began to fund-raise to enlarge the house to two floors. In their new hall, they held meetings and banquets, often lasting into the wee hours of the morning. A “Neighbors’ Night” might see 100 people dining following a literary program. Grange members not only promoted modern farming, they were a major part of the social fabric of the town. They sponsored patriotic celebrations, lawn parties in the summer, and theatrical performances at the Town Hall.

Membership waned after WW2, as there were fewer farms in Bennington, and families could find entertainment outside of town. In the 1970s, the local chapter dissolved and members merged with the Antrim Grange. In the early 1980s, the building was purposed for a pre-school/day care called Small Beginnings. Currently, the building is a two-unit dwelling.

The next installment of the Bennington NH Historical Society Blog will be posted on October 20, 2025. If you click the Subscribe button, all future posts will be sent straight to your inbox every month – for free.