Londonderry's Grange Hall #44 has stood at the corner of Pillsbury and Mammoth Roads since 1909, and just like any centenarian, its age is starting to show.
It has a case of shingles.
"Around the back, most of the siding is off, and all the sheathing and the pillars underneath are exposed," noted Grange master and local maple sugar maven Hank Peterson. "It's got to be fixed before the snow flies."
The hall harkens back to Londonderry's pastoral days. Listed in New Hampshire's registry of historic places, it was the meeting place of a group founded in the wake of the Civil War as an educational and social organization. The National Grange also provided a political organizing and advocacy force for farmers.
But those days are long past in Londonderry. Today, noted Marilyn Ham, the organization is down to 36 members, with only eight or 10 of them active.
"We'd like to keep the Grange alive, that's the critical thing," said Peterson. "The building is included in that."
In addition to its history, Ham noted that the building could serve as a community resource for concerts, art shows, weddings, and baby showers. Already it hosts Boy Scout meetings, Old Home Day events, and a few other activities, and its stage and acoustics rival those found in Londonderry schools. "It's the right size for smaller community groups that we sometimes forget about," Ham said.
The obstacle is water. The Grange doesn't have any, and Peterson said it would cost $20,000 to tie it into the Mammoth Road water mains. Septic would be a separate expense, but Peterson said those concerns are for some time after the siding gets repaired. "If snow and rain gets in, you're going to have problems with the attic and the ceiling, and then it won't make a difference if you have running water," he observed.
So the Grange is launching a fundraising drive to cover the $15,000 to $20,000 cost of stripping and residing the building. Whether they use pine shingles or replace the original cedar depends on how much they raise. And they want to raise it by September.
The project kicked off with an organizational meeting last week. Town Councilor Kathy Wagner attended but said she doubts municipal money can help. "As much as I'd like to present something to the council, I don't think the funds are there," Wagner said. Unlike ventures such as the "Project PLAY" playground, she observed, "the Grange is a private organization, and I don't know that the voters would approve."
The September timeline also limits the hope for private grants. Those that still have money to give often take too long selecting recipients. Peterson said that leaves retail fundraising as the Grange Hall's best avenue.
Plans call for approaching local businesses, particularly those with agricultural connections, and seeking help from community members.
That's another challenge. "We all ask the same companies and people over and over again," said Wagner, who is also involved in fundraising for projects including the Warm Homes winter fuel program and Old Home Days. "Are we getting charity-ed out? Yes, when times are good it's not hard getting sponsorships, but when times are hard it's difficult."
"It's going to be tough," Peterson agreed. "People will have to prioritize what they want to give to."
One strategy discussed last week was seeking $100 donations from 250 people, rather than $1 from 25,000. Depending on donation amounts, contributors might also be recognized for "buying a bundle" of shingles of different sizes. Money raised beyond the cost of siding could be set aside for water.
The project continues with another meeting at the Grange Hall on Wednesday, July 8, at 7:00 p.m. Grange friends and potential contributors are invited. Donations may also be sent in care of Gladys Woodin, 580 Charles Bancroft Highway, Litchfield N.H. 03052
