Mountainville Grange Hall
Encyclopedia
The Mountainville Grange Hall is located on NY 32
just south of the hamlet of Mountainville
in the town of Cornwall
, Orange County
, New York
, USA. Built in 1904, the Grange sold it in 1984 to the Jerusalem Temple Lodge No. 721, a local Masonic
body, and renamed the Cornwall Masonic Temple.
While the Masonic lodge has made some renovations, such as improving the kitchen and meeting spaces, the original character of the building has generally been preserved. It is still used today by Jerusalem Temple Lodge and its appendant Order of the Eastern Star
chapter. On June 3, 1996 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
frame
building on a stone foundation
, sided
in white clapboard
covered with aluminum on the first story and green wood shingles on the second. The gable
d roof is itself shingled
in asphalt, pierced by a brick chimney near the west (rear) end.
A sunburst-patterned vent is in the middle of the attic level on the eastern (front) facade
. The center bay at the first story projects slightly to accommodate the main entrance, two paneled and recessed wooden doors in a plain frame. A porch extends across the first story, with a flat roof supported by four rectangular Doric
columns connected by a balustrade. The porch roofline has a plain cornice
and frieze
with "Mountainville Grange 946 P of H" written on it. It has since been covered with a wooden sign saying "Cornwall Masonic Temple".
Inside the building follows a common Grange hall plan: dining room and kitchen on the first floor, meeting room and stage on the second. This and its furnishings and trim are unaltered.
states, where it had been strong in the 1870s as part of the Populist
movement. Membership overall declined in the following decade, but in the 1890s its influence rose in the East
as farmers coped with the impact of modern technologies and economies on agricultural production.
In Mountainville, the Grange chapter was founded just before Christmas 1902. The hall was built two years later, and continued to be used as both a meeting place for the members and informal community center until the 1960s, when Grange membersip declined steeply. It was home to an antique store during the 1970s, and was restored to its original organizational function in 1984 when Jerusalem Temple Lodge bought it.
At some point in the later 20th century, aluminum siding was installed on the first story, over the original clapboard. There have been no other modifications to the building.
New York State Route 32
New York State Route 32 is a north–south state highway that extends for through the Hudson Valley and Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly its entire length, with few divided and no limited-access sections. From Harriman to Albany,...
just south of the hamlet of Mountainville
Mountainville, New York
Mountainville is a hamlet in the western section of the town of Cornwall, in Orange County, New York, USA. It is mostly wooded, lightly populated area, located in the narrow valley of Woodbury and Moodna creeks between Schunemunk Mountain and the Hudson Highlands. The New York State Thruway and NY...
in the town of Cornwall
Cornwall, New York
Cornwall is a town in Orange County, New York, USA. It is located about 50 miles north of New York City on the western shore of the Hudson River. The estimated population in 2007 was 12,827....
, Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA. Built in 1904, the Grange sold it in 1984 to the Jerusalem Temple Lodge No. 721, a local Masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
body, and renamed the Cornwall Masonic Temple.
While the Masonic lodge has made some renovations, such as improving the kitchen and meeting spaces, the original character of the building has generally been preserved. It is still used today by Jerusalem Temple Lodge and its appendant Order of the Eastern Star
Order of the Eastern Star
The Order of the Eastern Star is a fraternal organization that both men and women can join. It was established in 1850 by Rob Morris, a lawyer and educator from Boston, Massachusetts, who had been an official with the Freemasons. It is based on teachings from the Bible, but is open to people of all...
chapter. On June 3, 1996 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Building
It is a two-story three-by-six-bayBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
building on a stone foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
, sided
Siding
Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value....
in white clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
covered with aluminum on the first story and green wood shingles on the second. The gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof is itself shingled
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
in asphalt, pierced by a brick chimney near the west (rear) end.
A sunburst-patterned vent is in the middle of the attic level on the eastern (front) facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
. The center bay at the first story projects slightly to accommodate the main entrance, two paneled and recessed wooden doors in a plain frame. A porch extends across the first story, with a flat roof supported by four rectangular Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns connected by a balustrade. The porch roofline has a plain cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
and frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
with "Mountainville Grange 946 P of H" written on it. It has since been covered with a wooden sign saying "Cornwall Masonic Temple".
Inside the building follows a common Grange hall plan: dining room and kitchen on the first floor, meeting room and stage on the second. This and its furnishings and trim are unaltered.
History
The Grange had flourished in the Great PlainsGreat Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
states, where it had been strong in the 1870s as part of the Populist
Populist Party (United States)
The People's Party, also known as the "Populists", was a short-lived political party in the United States established in 1891. It was most important in 1892-96, then rapidly faded away...
movement. Membership overall declined in the following decade, but in the 1890s its influence rose in the East
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
as farmers coped with the impact of modern technologies and economies on agricultural production.
In Mountainville, the Grange chapter was founded just before Christmas 1902. The hall was built two years later, and continued to be used as both a meeting place for the members and informal community center until the 1960s, when Grange membersip declined steeply. It was home to an antique store during the 1970s, and was restored to its original organizational function in 1984 when Jerusalem Temple Lodge bought it.
At some point in the later 20th century, aluminum siding was installed on the first story, over the original clapboard. There have been no other modifications to the building.