History for Sale
For only the second time since its construction, the storied Belmont Grange Hall at 980 Shamrock Drive, Barnesville, is on the market. The property is listed by local Harvey Goodman Realtor agent Samantha Welch.
The building was erected by members of Belmont Grange #889 (Patrons of Husbandry) in 1904, three years after the local farming social organization, that was open to both men and women, was established in Barnesville.
During the 93 years it served the local as home to the Grange, the group used the second, or upper story, for meetings. The room continues to feature a stage, hardwood floors and elevated auditorium seating.
Through the 1950s, the hall was headquarters for the annual Farmers Institute, a two- or three-day program of education and entertainment focused on the farming community.
The lower level consisted of a large meeting/dining room and commercial kitchen that was used by the Grange for fundraising meals and special events or rented out to other groups.
Also located on the lower level was a caretaker apartment.
As area fulltime farming declined so did an aging Belmont Grange membership. The decision was made to sell the building in July 1997. The Grange organization continued to meet each month at the Barnesville Senior Center up through the mid-2010s.
The Realtor’s description of the property notes, “outside, the property sits on approximately 4 acres and includes the well-known ‘Taber Lake,’ adding even more uniqueness and appeal to this already one-of-a-kind property.”
Taber Lake was named in honor of Louis Taber, a member of Belmont Grange who rose in the ranks of the organization to first become Master of the Ohio Grange and, finally, Master of the National Grange in Washington, DC. During Taber’s time in the nation’s capital, he was friends of presidents and mentioned several times as a possible Ohio Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Taber was also longtime co-owner of the Barnesville Enterprise, the newspaper he and Ray Palmer saved from oblivion in 1922.
Since the 1997 sale, the building has been home for a nursery school and was rented for special gatherings and events.
More information on the property may be found on the agent’s website.
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