Granville Then & Now – March 24, 2022

The hills of Granville stand to the west

By Erik Pekar, Town Historian

Spring is officially here, having arrived early this week. Last week was the first week of the year that really felt like spring. The temperature trend went up and up throughout the week. Friday was especially nice, sunny with a peak temperature near 70 degrees; the first day this year to have weather this nice. The warm weather has melted away the cover of winter. The ice along the Mettowee River has given way to a high-water level from all the runoff and melting. There is still ice on Lake St. Catherine, but it is slowly melting away there as well. Although there is a chance that nighttime lows may dip down to the freezing level on a night or two this week, the trend looking forward indicates that spring is here to stay.

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The hills to the west of the village of Granville are a well-known part of the natural landscape of the area. They are part of a longer hill range that runs from near Granville to near Middle Granville. None of the hills have official names registered, although two of them have locally been referred to with names. There are five hills in this range, described here from north to south. Heights listed were from a 1944 U.S.G.S. map depicting the Granville area.

Hill One, height of 968 feet, is the northernmost hill, just southwest of Middle Granville. This hill is also just south of Lee Road. The hill has been called “Diplock’s Hill.” A light beacon is on top of an antenna on this hill. A slate quarry once operated on the southeastern slope of this hill.

Hill Two, the next one in line, is the only hill in the range with no exact height marked on the map. The contour lines indicate a height between 1,020 and 1,040 feet.

Hill Three, height of 1,108 feet, is just west of not only where Mettowee Street meets the Route 22 bypass, but also is west of the confluence of the Indian River with the Mettowee River. This hill is the one with the Braymer Monument on the hillside facing the village. As such, it is commonly referred to in the area as “Braymer’s Mountain.” A lesser sloped area down this hill to the east was the location of a short-lived skiing area in the late 1930s.

Hill Four, height of 1,124 feet, is just west of the village of Granville. The village water tank is on the hillside, easily visible from the streets.

Hill Five, height of 888 feet, is somewhat separated from the rest of the hills by a small “valley” or pass. This hill is roughly west of the village strip malls, or where the bypass turns towards meeting Quaker Street.

There are other hills in the town of Granville, but the range of five hills to the west of Middle Granville and Village of Granville remain the most prominent.