Explore the rich history of orange
Travel through time and witness history unfold before your eyes
About the Orange Historical Society
Our History
Circa 1866-1867, a local business man, Stephen French bought a much smaller house at an auction. Five generations of his family lived here: his mother; he and his wife; their daughter, Grace, who married Fred Weymouth; the Weymouth's daughter, Sibyl; and her daughter, Ann. By 1868, Mr. French had expanded the small house into a very large one of 24 rooms. Some years later some partitions were removed leaving 18 rooms, in the house and the three story barn.
Grace Weymouth was the original curator of the Historical Society. Collections were housed in the basement of the library until the flood of 1936. Grace and her husband moved the salvageable items from the library to their home, which is now the Orange Historical Society. She opened her home to the public on certain days to exhibit the artifacts. She fell upon hard times during the Great Depression and was in danger of losing her house. The present Orange Historical Society, which was chartered in 1942, purchased the house by paying off the mortgage of approximately $4,000. There was a stipulation that Grace could live in the house until her death, and she did.
The many rooms of the Orange Historical Society, showcase an abundance of wonderful historical artifacts...
Come visit and learn about the rich history of Orange!