The small area now occupied by Granville Citizens Park and its surroundings was once a busy center of local life, with J.M. Gibbons' General Store, built in 1851, housing the post office and a school upstairs before the original store burned in 1884; a newer store also burned in 1934 and was rebuilt. Over the years the area was repeatedly reshaped and was long known to many as "Jockey Corners," a name of uncertain origin that may have come either from a race track once located where the Granville Village School now stands or from the well-known local horse racer Columbus Wilcox, who operated the Wilcox Hotel on the green. The Corners had hotels in the area since the 1700s and served as a common resting place for travelers, some of whom may also have been involved in horse racing. On the east side of what is now the park stood the Holcomb Brothers' Blacksmith Shop, later operated by G.L. Oysler until his death in 1939. The first house on the Corners was not built until the 1830s; on the west end, it belonged to Barlow and Spellman and later became known as the Milo Seymour house. A second house was built around 1900, and in 1950-51 both houses were purchased by Max and Dot Stacker. Because the Seymours had stored many town records in the attic of the first house, Max Stacker, unaware of their importance, burned them after taking them to the dump while cleaning the attic. In November 1995, a private party offered the Stacker property to the Granville Selectmen for donation as a park, on the condition that volunteers would do the renovation work. A Town Green Committee formed, and on January 22, 1996, the townspeople approved a rough design plan; donations of more than $6000, along with pledged labor, equipment, and materials, supported the project. Descendants and relatives of George Woodger were revealed as the donors, and the park was dedicated in his memory for his many years of service on Granville's Select Board. In spring 1996 bids were taken to remove the houses, with some materials salvaged and sold to raise additional money. By the end of summer the debris was gone, design discussions continued that fall, and the committee's detailed plan, which echoed the land's original multilevel form, won approval in March 1997. Construction began that fall, with walls removed and the land graded; in summer 1998 new walls were built, village school students helped create the paths, other volunteers used a backhoe to make stone sculptures and benches, and after seeding the lawn following October's Harvest Fair, the park was ready for use by spring 1999. It continues to be sustained by the Town Highway Department and by civic organizations and individuals.