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Grand Army of the Republic Building (Scranton, Pennsylvania)

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The Grand Army of the Republic Building is a historic Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) owned building located at Scranton, PA. It was built in 1886, and is a red brick and granite building in the Romanesque Revivial-style. It consists of two sections: a three-story with full basement section measuring 40 feet by 60 feet, and a 40 feet by 34 feet section with four stories and a full basement. It features a porch with red granite columnns, a carved brick archway, an ornate carved brick cornice, cast stone arches, and corner turret with round cupola and finial rising to a height of 90 feet. It originally housed a hotel and Masonic Temple, but was purchased by the Grand Army of the Republic in 1901.

Images

  • 2nd Lieutenant Ezra Griffin, whom the post located in the building is named after. This photo is believed to have been taken around 1863.
  • The GAR building as seen shortly after it was purchased by the Grand Army of the Republic in 1901.
  • The GAR building as it looks today. Angle of this photo is roughly from the same angle as the early 1900 photo posted above.
  • A copy of the list of hotels in Scranton that provided rooms for the 1911 National Grand Army Encampment.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The GAR Lieutenant Ezra Griffin Post, No. 139 has used the building since it was purchased for meetings and other gatherings for members of the GAR and the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. In 1911, the building hosted a national Grand Army of the Republic Encampment, or conference. 

Additional Information