Submitted by The Lopez Island Grange

The Lopez Island Grange is looking sharp these days after a long-awaited paint job. The exterior paint had begun to peel off in many places, and some siding and sills had begun to exhibit rot. New boards were ordered to replace the siding, sills were repaired, and the entire building was scraped and painted. The Grange began fundraising for the project several years ago and it was completed this October. “It was a real community effort to see this project through, and we are grateful to the contractors, businesses, donors, and islanders who helped make it happen,” says Grange Master Sue DuMond.

The Lopez Island Grange was built by Joe and John Burt in 1903 and originally served as Center School, one of four schools on the island. When the district consolidated in the 1940s, Lopez Grange #1060 assumed ownership and has stewarded it ever since. The Grange has hosted teen nights, tap classes, weddings, funeral receptions, square dances, family gatherings, meetings, classes and so much more. “At the Grange, you can really feel the heartbeat of our community” says executive committee member Kelsey Nelsen. “We’ve managed to maintain this historic building as a vital part of island life for over a hundred years and with this restoration work, we hope to see it into its next hundred.” The new paint job is the first step in a bigger restoration project. Next steps include repairing the foundation, weatherization, and installing energy-efficient heat pumps.

Lopez Island Grange would like to thank the following contractors and businesses for their donations, hard work, and attention to detail in painting and restoring the beautiful 117-year-old Grange building: Colby White Construction and Maintenance, Liz Scranton Custom Wood Finishes, Joel & June Arnold at Sunset Builders, Doug Poole at Sage Building Solutions, Phelps Construction and Chrisanne Galvez. Funding for the project came from The San Juan County Historical Preservation Grant Fund, many donors on IndieGoGo and the Lopez Island community, and visitors who donated and attended Grange events and contributed to the ongoing building maintenance and restoration fund. More info: www.lopezislandgrange.org.