{"nrhp_refnum":"83003924","name":"Dalton Grange Hall No. 23","other_names":["Bartonville Grange Hall"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"South St. and Grange Hall Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dalton","county":"Berkshire County","state":"MA","lat":42.46064954600007,"lon":-73.18225656799996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-11-10","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture","Social History","Agriculture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A wood-frame, 1 1/2 story gable-roofed Grange hall with a T-plan, built in 1879 on a triangular half-acre lot at South Street and Grange Hall Road in western Dalton, Massachusetts. It is also known as the Bartonville Grange Hall.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an early and continuous representation of the Grange movement from the late 19th century to the present. It was the first Grange hall in Massachusetts built and owned by its members. Its simple, well-proportioned vernacular design reflects the efforts and aspirations of the rural community.","narrative":"Built in 1879 on a triangular half-acre lot in western Dalton, this clapboarded, 1 1/2 story gable-roofed hall has a T-plan and a spare vernacular Victorian design. Its three-bay gable-end facade faces South Street and keeps its double-door entry with transom and gable hood, narrow windows with heavy lintels, and an arched attic vent. A stage door addition dates from about 1900, and the interior retains its stage, sliding doors between halls, wainscoting and plaster walls. The hall matters as the first Grange building in Massachusetts constructed and owned by its members. Dalton Grange No. 23 was organized in 1873, and within six years it raised funds, gathered donated materials and dedicated the new hall in December 1879. The Grange furthered agriculture and served as a social center, hosting suppers, festivals and theatricals, and the Berkshire County Pomona Grange was organized here. Years of neglect and a threat of demolition led to efforts to fund repairs.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899 and 1900- (specific date 1879)","architect_builder":"Building Committee: John S. Barton, Robert A. Rice, Henry A. Barton, Sr.; W.M. Hathaway (sawed lumber); C.R. Lawrence & Brother (plastering); M. Shaw of Pittsfield (lathing)","architectural_style":"Vernacular Victorian","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as neglected in recent years but with original fabric basically intact; some windows boarded over, sill damage from a removed addition, and the Grange was seeking repair funds amid a town effort to have it demolished.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.48378-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/18/7941/63794118/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/83003924.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83003924/8c1f2ddedf-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83003924/8c1f2ddedf-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Unknown authorUnknown author","credit_html":"Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DaltonGrange.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63794118","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalton_Grange_Hall_No._23","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5211684"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/berkshire-county/dalton-grange-hall-no-23-83003924/"}