The Donalds Grange No. 497

Donalds Grange No. 497 is significant for its architecture and for its contribution to the social development of the community and Abbeville County. Built in 1935 by local Works Progress Administration labor on land donated by W. Maxie Agnew, the fieldstone building originally housed the town hall, the grange, and the public library. From its beginning, it served as the meeting hall for the agricultural organization known locally as the Donalds Grange. In 1942 the Donalds Grange sponsored the Abbeville County Circulating Library, including its popular bookmobile. The building became headquarters for the Abbeville County Library system and served in that role until 1959, when the Grange sponsored construction of the adjacent W. Maxie Agnew Branch Library. Its architectural significance comes from its local design and its construction by Works Progress Administration labor, and its fieldstone construction and locally produced lumber reflect the role of local labor in this Depression Era public building.

Donalds, South Carolina · United States