Thousand Island Grange Hall
Also known as: 1000 Island Grange #593
Why it's listed
Built around 1900 in the hamlet of Omar, this long two-story frame building served as the hall of the Thousand Island Grange, which was founded in 1889 for farmers in the northern part of the Town of Orleans, including Wellesley Island. It has white clapboard siding, a concrete foundation, a steep gable roof with standing seam metal, and a symmetrical three-by-five bay layout. A ground-floor supper hall and an upper-floor meeting hall with a stage follow the plan typical of grange halls of the period. Though a church congregation renovated the interior in 1992 and the second-floor windows were replaced, the basic shape, materials and openings remain. The town once supported two Grange societies, and this hall is the only one still standing. Beyond agricultural purposes, it hosted many community groups and acted as a social center for nearly a century, which supports its recognition for social history and as a representative example of a grange hall type.
Significance in brief: It is the only surviving grange hall of the two Grange organizations once supported in the town, and it was a social center for much of the 20th century. It is also a largely intact example of the typical long, two-story grange hall type built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96000664, listed June 28, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E side of Gore Rd., N of jct. with NY 180, Hamlet of Omar, Orleans |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | June 28, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000664 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1900-c.1946 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: grange hall |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Sold to a church group in 1992 and renovated; currently used as a meeting hall. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 44.26107, -75.97188 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96000664.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7797042
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.