Community House Gets a Facelift

Renovations continue at the South Grafton Community House, part of an overall restoration of the South Grafton area.

The building formerly housed the Farnumsville Grammar School, which was built around 1872. Wings were added to the building in 1910, creating a Maltese Cross configuration, according to Ralph “Skip’’ Michniewicz.

The building also houses the post.

Michniewicz has been working on the building for years, restoring one of the rooms and decorating it with vintage Americana photos and memorabilia.

With money approved by the Community Preservation Committee, he is now working to restore two rooms at the building.

Work includes the removal of suspended ceilings, which have been replaced with tin ceilings. Reproduction Victorian chandeliers will be placed in the rooms.

The building was also repainted two years ago. That was the first time the building was painted since 1941, he said.

The target date for completing the most recent room renovation is Nov. 1, Michniewicz said.

He hopes that once the work is competed, residents will use the building for meetings and special events.

The building sits on 2 ½ acres on the Blackstone River, the only town-owned building that can make that claim.

“It’s a real resource for the town,’’ he said.