Granville
In 1764, New York patents for over 15 thousand acres of land along the Mettowee River were granted to about 30 officers who had served in the French and Indian War. The initial immigrants to settle in Granville were mostly from New England. Granville's population grew slowly until the 1790s. The New England origin of the settlers caused them to favor Vermont's laws of universal suffrage and individual land tenure. In 1782 many residents of Granville participated in the failed attempt to annex Charlotte County (an area encompassing most of Washington County and Vermont's Rutland County) to Vermont.
Gristmills, sawmills, blacksmith shops, woolen and cotton mills were some of the early industries to be established in Granville. Flax and wool from nearby farms were spun and woven by local families. It was said "the rattle of the loom and the buzz of the spindle could be heard in every house."
With the discovery of slate in the 1850s, Granville experienced a significant growth in population. By the 1890s, local slate companies were actively recruiting Welsh quarrymen. Soon, Italian, Czechoslovakian, Irish and other European families arrived in Granville to work the slate quarries.
The success of the slate industry was reflected in the wealth and influence of the slate barons. Hugh W. Hughs, the so-called "slate king of Granville" arrived from Wales in 1857 with three dollars in his pocket. Thirty years later Hughs owned some of the most productive slate quarries in the region and was making annual sales of over $200,000. His Elmwood Cemetery monument with a life-sized statue of Hughs was said to have cost $12,000 in 1890.
After accumulating considerable wealth in the fur business in New York City, Franklin T. Pember pursued a lifelong vocation as a naturalist, collecting wildlife species from all over the world. In 1901 he built the Pember Opera House, an 800-seat facility said to be "one of the finest&in Northern New York." In 1909, the Pember Library and Museum opened. The museum still houses Pember's vast collection of rare birds, mammals and reptiles.
Heritage Center
The Slate Valley Museum is the official Heritage Center of the Lakes to Locks Passage. The Heritage Centers provide an orientation to the community theme; identify the location of interpreted sites, nearby attractions and adjacent communities; visitor services information and
public restrooms. Please click here for more information about our Heritage Center program.
Town of Granville
City Hall
Main St.
Granville 12832
Tel. 642-1500,
Town of Granville Historian
PO Box 334
Middle Granville NY 12849
518-642-9824
Village of Granville
Quaker St.
Granville 12832
Tel. 642-2640
Town of Hebron
3161 Co. Rte. 30
Salem 12865
Tel. 854-3384
Town of Hebron Historian
Harold Craig
RD 1,
Granville 12832
Town of Hartford
PO Box 214,
Hartford 12838
Tel. 632-9151,
Town of Hartford Historian
Mike Armstrong
PO Box 214
Hartford 12838
For more information on dining or lodging, please contact:
Washington County Tourism
518-209-0697
Washington County Tourism Association
888-203-8622
Granville Area Chamber of Commerce (GACC)
Adirondack Regional Chambers of Commerce
518-798-1761
