The Vinland Grange Hall
Grange Hall, Vinland, KS – circa 1952
Vinland Grange #163 was organized in 1873, during a period of dramatic growth in the Grange movement, including 1,000+ granges in Kansas. The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry was founded in 1867 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a social organization that encouraged families to work together to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and agriculture. The Grange was ahead of the time in including women and young people over age 14 as full members.
The Vinland Grange Hall was built in 1884 and is one of two Kansas grange halls listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is an essential component of a conspicuous row of largely unaltered period buildings constituting the historic main street of Vinland. Five of these buildings are listed on the National Register, as are three others nearby.
Second Floor – present day (2023)
The Vinland Grange Hall was the center of the Vinland community life. Various meetings, events, and meals were held upstairs by the Grange as well as the library, area churches, schools, youth groups, state and county agencies, and a variety of social groups. Among the speakers were retired Governor Robinson, L.L. Dyche, and University of Kansas and KSAC/KSU faculty. The ground floor was used, over time, for a farm store, a bank, a cream-testing station, a barbershop, an apple packing space for area orchardists, and the annual Groundhog Day pancake suppers to raise funds for the Vinland Grange Fair. Recent uses were a museum, a food co-op, and storage of historic artifacts and construction materials.
Advertisement Banner – ca. 1950’s
