| DECEMBER 27, 2008 -- The local school system has taken over the Olcott Street Grange building, using the white clapboard hall as storage for its buildings and grounds department.
Members of the town's Building Reuse Committee say it's a nice fit for the abandoned historic structure.
The Grange, the civic organization that leased the building from the town for decades in exchange for building maintenance and upkeep, vacated the property when its lease expired last year.
The partnership between the town and Grange goes back to 1970, when town officials agreed to lease the building for $1 a year.
The building fell into such disrepair that the dwindling members of the Grange were no longer able to uphold their end of the bargain, however.
In January 2000 the committee had recommended that the property either be sold or leased, and it was appraised.
This year, however, town staff said they might need the property for expansion at the nearby landfill and its related facilities.
Anticipated changes include the addition of a new scale house and new locations for the disposal and recycling of electronic components, hazardous waste, and leaf composting.
After subsequent discussions, however, it was determined that it was no longer necessary, and the Board of Education then moved into the building in June, Vivian Ferguson, committee chairwoman, said.
The Grange was started after the Civil War as a way to unite farmers and obtain better prices for their crops. Nationally it's become an advocacy group for food standards.
The Manchester group collected food for the Manchester Area Conference of Churches and other organizations, as well as necessities for military men and women stationed overseas.
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