Affectionately known as Burgy Grange, our local Grange was founded on November 1, 1900, making it exactly 125years old this month. The National Grange was founded in 1867 as an agricultural organization to support farmers and rural life. The name Grange comes from the Latin word granum, which means grain.
The first Massachusetts Grange, Guiding Star Grange #1, was organized in 1873 in Greenfield. The Massachusetts State Grange was organized later in 1873. Burgy Grange is the 225th Grange established in the Commonwealth, thus its number #225. Of the 58 townsfolk who were founding members of Burgy Grange in 1900, almost half were local women.
The first meeting of the newly established Grange was at the United Workman’s Hall. (In 2025, 1 North Main Street, the building across from Williamsburg Congregational Church.) Three months later, in 1901, the Grange held meetings in the W.C.T. U. (Woman’s Christian Temperence Union) Temperance Hall, now home to the Florence Bank.
Charter member Fannie J. Clary served as the first Lecturer of Burgy Grange. The Lecturer is responsible for developing informative programs for members. Fannie herself was an educator and social reformer, as well as a farmer’s wife. Known for her extemporaneous speaking ability, she led a talk on capital punishment in July 1905.
Under her leadership, many of the early meeting (1901-1905) programs were discussions about things like: “The pleasures, disappointments, sociability and independence of farm life”, “Is potato raising profitable?”, and the practical— “What can a farmer’s wife do to earn money?”. There were debates about labor unions and women’s suffrage, mock trials and many musical performances. Program topics ran the gambit of issues of the time and offered cultural and educational experiences for members.
The Grange moved to the original schoolhouse building on the current Grange Hall site in 1915, when the new Helen E. James School opened. Burgy Grange bought the building from the town in 1925 for $2,000. It was formally dedicated as part of the Grange’s 25th anniversary celebration on October 31, 1925. For the 45th anniversary in 1945, the Grangers ceremoniously burnt the mortgage, which was finally paid off.
1950 saw the Grange tackling a major hall renovation project with more than 16,000 volunteer hours dedicated to modernizing the hall. Granger Lewis Black kept a tally—and from1950 to 1953, they tracked 25,000 people through the building! The 1950 50th anniversary celebration was held at the Williamsburg Congregational Church, with more than 240 people enjoying the supper.
In keeping with this long tradition, Burgy Grange will be celebrating with a potluck supper, cupcake treats, and special guests on Saturday, November 8, 2025. Happy 125th Anniversary Burgy Grange! Thanks to Shannon Smith Wade, Burgy Grange Secretary, for sharing snippets of history and fun facts about our local Burgy Grange #225. Daria D’Arienzo, Archivist and photographer. #throwbackthursday; #tbt.
Posted to Facebook 11/6/2025
