About Ravena Grange
Serving the Town of Coeymans since 1919.
A little history
The Grange movement was born out of the hardship that followed the Civil War. With agriculture — the nation's primary industry — reeling, President Andrew Johnson commissioned Oliver Hudson Kelley to travel the South and report on conditions. Kelley and his associates came to believe that an organization built on individual effort and mutual cooperation was essential to restoring the agricultural community, and with it the health of the nation.
The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry was formally organized in Washington, DC on December 4, 1867. The first working local unit, Fredonia Grange #1 in Chautauqua County, New York, followed on April 16, 1868. Since then, more than 1,600 Granges have been organized in New York State alone.
Ravena Grange through the years
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1919 | On October 19, members of the Patrons of Industry vote to join the Patrons of Husbandry, founding Ravena Grange #1457. Early meetings are held in members' homes, mostly in Ravena. |
| 1934 | A lot in Coeymans Hollow is purchased. Pledges are taken and 2,500 board feet of local timber is donated. Before the hall is even dedicated, it hosts services for the Coeymans Hollow Methodist Church after lightning strikes their building. |
| 1936 | The present hall is dedicated in June. Later that year a fire strikes the hall; quick work by the Ravena Fire Department and neighbors limits the damage. |
| 1945 | The Coeymans Hollow Volunteer Fire Company is formally organized at the Grange Hall. |
| 1968 | The hall again becomes a meeting place for the Methodist Church after their building is destroyed by fire. |
| 1987 | The October blizzard: the hall shelters residents and serves about 500 meals. |
| 2001 | Ravena Grange joins the Action Grange program to strengthen how we serve the community. |
| 2005 | The Words for Thirds® dictionary program begins at Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary. |
| 2008 | History repeats during the December ice storm as the hall opens again for neighbors in need. |
| 2009 | The Town of Coeymans designates the hall as one of the Town's Disaster Centers. |
| 2019 | A full house celebrates our 100th anniversary on October 13, with honored guests from the National Grange, the Town of Coeymans and the New York State Assembly. |
Over the years the hall has also been made available to the fire company and the Little Red School House Museum for their fundraising, and our Grange has raised money for the Ronald McDonald House, St. Peter's Hospice, the Ravena Library, and individuals who have met with personal disasters.
Our vision
Our Grange is the place to…
- Develop self
- Examine our knowledge & involvement with nature
- Foster mutual understanding & cooperation
…and the place for
- Fun
- Education
- Individual respect
- Patriotism
- Diversity
Our Grange is the place to be!
Executive officers
| Office | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| President | Jo Downey | 518-767-2985 |
| Vice President | Stephen Coye | 518-756-1118 |
| Program Director (Lecturer) | Jeff Ruso | 518-756-9636 |
| Secretary | Judy Sylvester | 518-756-6406 |
| Treasurer | Doris Irving | 518-756-6222 |
| Executive Committee | Doris Irving | 518-756-6222 |