On July 27, 2022, the Great Falls Grange Foundation hosted an in-person Town Hall Meeting open to the public. Its purpose was to provide the community with more detailed information regarding the activities of the Foundation to prepare the Grange and Schoolhouse buildings to serve as a center for community activities and event venue.

Julie Maher began the meeting with a presentation that discussed the history of the Grange building and its historical importance to the community. Once one of several in Fairfax County, the Craftsman-style building is the last standing grange hall in Virginia that is still in its original form. It is listed on the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places.

The Grange building shares its land with the Forestville School, a two-room schoolhouse dating from 1889 and expanded in 1911. Both buildings are under the management of the Great Falls Grange Foundation under the terms and conditions of a license agreement with the Fairfax County Park Authority, which owns the land and buildings. 

Since that public/private partnership was formed in April, 2022, the Foundation has been busy securing the funding needed to maintain and improve the facilities, including many needed improvements, such as refinishing the original hardwood floors, updating plumbing, adding air-conditioning in the schoolhouse, connecting to public water, and installing a back-up power generator—considered vital if the Grange building is to be successful in leasing its space for events. There is also a need for interior paint touch up of the walls in the Grange. Lauren Liess/Property Collective has agreed to provide concept design for the interior spaces.

Other projects include landscaping and designing a more efficient parking lot and getting that built. The  landscaping plan was developed and directed by Charles Owen from Fine Landscapes, Ltd., with additional help from the Great Falls Garden Club. The plan has received donations of time and materials by six local landscape companies to get the work done.

With respect to the water line hook-up, the Board has worked to complete the necessary application paperwork for a Mastenbrook Grant. This is a grant that is provided by the County and, once approved, will supply 50% of the funding for the cost of connecting the Grange and Schoolhouse buildings to the County water line.

The estimated costs of the improvements needed for the Grange and Schoolhouse buildings is approximately $92,000. The Board emphasized that all maintenance and improvement projects must be approved by the Fairfax County Review Board for Historic Properties, and must comply with the Secretary of the Interior – Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties.

The goal of the Foundation, and the purpose of the improvements, is to make the Grange a community center, with shows, programs, performances and other events. The Foundation plans to begin leasing the spaces for a wide range of events, including community meetings, celebration events, weddings, business meetings, art shows, theatrical performances, and musical performances. Some of these activities will be ordinary commercial transactions, with the event organizers leasing the space at the Foundation’s set rates. It is thought that these types of events will provide a source of cash flow that would defer the operating costs of the property. Other’s will be community events, with no profit expectations from the event.

Following the presentations, the panel answered questions from those in attendance. The problem of adequate parking was discussed, along with issues relating to the experience and qualifications of the Board, plus additional discussion regarding financial matters. The Board stated that several fundraising events have been scheduled for the fall, and the grand opening celebration will be Thursday, September 8, 2022.

The Foundation is soliciting volunteers for its many projects. To learn more about the work of the Great Falls Grange Foundation, or to download a volunteer form, visit the Foundation’s website at www.gfgrange.org. The next Town Hall Meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at 6:30 pm at the Grange building.