Mousam Lake Pavilion (formerly the Grange Hall)

York County Granges were introduced in the summer of 1874 with Acton Grange #23 as the first. Acton resident Horace Bodwell presided over this grange for many years.

On March 24, 1906, Mousam Lake Grange #467 was organized in Shapleigh. In 1921, after holding their meetings at the Shapleigh Town Hall (which is now the Shapleigh Community Library) every Saturday for the past fifteen years the Mousam Lake Grange members finally decided it was time for their own facility. With 40 members strong and $65.00 in the treasury, they started fund-raising. They raised enough to purchase the building in Alfred Gore that was formerly used as the North Alfred Grange Hall.

Harley Hooper, a Shapleigh resident, gave them the deed to the lot across the street from the Lindsay High School. The hall was dismantled and hauled from Alfred to Shapleigh, piece by piece, board by board and re-assembled at its current location. The hall was completed and dedicated on January 4, 1922 - with an $800 mortgage, but they had their new home!

They soon began to raise money and in less than 1 year, they were able to pay off their debt and burned the mortgage! In 1928 the addition of the kitchen and the 2nd floor stage was completed at a cost of $2,000, which took 5 years to pay-off. This is the last of the known renovations.

ASHS acquired this building in January 2016 and preservation of this beautiful old building began in January 2018. Fund-raising has begun already as this we realize this will be a long and costly endeavor.

Our goal is to not only bring this beauty back to life, but to bring the community together here once again. The facility will be able to be used for meetings, dances, dinners, weddings, plays, concerts or whatever the need may be. We want this to be the towns peoples place of gathering - like it used to be back when the grange was in its hey-day and it was common for 150 people attend a bean supper or a harvest dance here.