The Old Grange Restaurant is available to lease

The Old Grange Restaurant, located at Historic Cold Spring Village in the Cold Spring section of Lower Township, began its life in the late 1800s as Cold Spring Grange #132 with a charter membership of 32. Also known as the Patrons of Husbandry, the Grange is America’s oldest farm organization and the only rural fraternity in the world.
The building, c.1897, was constructed at an approximate cost of $6,000.00. On the 10th anniversary of its dedication, the mortgage was said to have been burned at a special meeting. During the early 20th century, the Old Grange was the focus of many Township of Lower activities, serving as a school, voting site and meeting hall is addition to supporting projects and programs relating to the Grange Association.
By 1970, Cold Spring Grange #132 was no longer able to maintain a membership base to support the organization. In 1973 it became the first building in the complex later known as Historic Cold Spring Village, the 19th century open-air living history museum located adjacent to the Grange. Since 1981, visitors to the Village have enjoyed the grand meals offered by the “Old Grange” Restaurant.
Historic Cold Spring Village in Cape May is seeking a tenant to run the restaurant for the 2010 season. The Grange is on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places. The restaurant comes with a fully equipped kitchen and dining room.
There are 102 seats downstairs with additional seating on the porch and seating for 70 upstairs. The restaurant also includes air conditioning and natural gas heat, on-site free parking and a food stand inside Historic Cold Spring Village.
For more information, please contact Clare Juechter at (609) 898-2300, ext. 16 or cjuechter@hcsv.org.
Historic Cold Spring Village is an Early American open-air living history museum portraying the lifestyles, trades, crafts and architecture of a small South Jersey rural community. The Village consists of 26 restored buildings on a 22-acre wooded site.
They house a variety of interpreters in period clothing who demonstrate basketry, woodworking, broommaking, tinsmithing, weaving, spinning, blacksmithing, printing, pottery, bookbinding, 19th century farming and open-hearth cooking. In addition to the craft buildings, visitors will find a Welcome Center, Country Store, Old Grange Restaurant, Bakery and Ice Cream Parlor. Special events are held every weekend from late May through mid-September in addition to weekday family activities.
Call (609) 898-2300, ext. 10 for additional information or visit www.hcsv.org.