Gideon Granger’s township
Granger’s land changed hands to pay a debt. When the Connecticut Land Company divided the Western Reserve among its 36 investors, Oliver Phelps drew the Granger lots. Phelps died in 1809 owing money to Gideon Granger, and the land went to Granger to settle it. In 1817 Granger sold the northwest part of the township to Henry Remsen and the rest to the Low, Hills, Ganyard and Codding families of the Canandaigua area of New York, who brought their families to farm it.
Remsen’s section was held in trust for his daughter’s children and wasn’t settled until 1845. The township was organized in 1820, and the settlers voted to name it after Gideon Granger, who had served in the Connecticut legislature and as Postmaster General under Thomas Jefferson. It is the only Granger Township in Ohio.
Farmhouses, acreage and newer homes
Granger’s housing is a blend of old farm properties and newer country homes. From the Census:
- About 11% of homes were built in 1939 or earlier, a sizeable share for a township of high-value homes.
- The median home was built in 1983.
- About 92% of homes are owner-occupied, and about 88% are single-family detached.
- The median home value, as owners estimate it, is about $436,700.
That means a Granger seller may have a 19th-century farmhouse with outbuildings, a 1970s ranch on a few acres, or a newer custom home. The older farm properties are where we can help most. They can come with original systems, an aging foundation, a well and septic, and barns that need work, which is a lot for a buyer’s lender to process.
If you’re selling land without a house, or splitting off acreage, see selling vacant land in Ohio.
Township rules that come up at a Granger sale
Granger has had a comprehensive zoning resolution since November 1977. A few practical points from the township:
- Zoning permits are required for new decks, garages, additions, barns (even agricultural ones), storage units and portable sheds, and pools. Unpermitted structures can raise questions at closing; see selling a house with unpermitted work.
- The zoning inspector works part-time, with office hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, so allow extra time if a buyer needs a zoning letter.
- Trash is private. Each household contracts its own hauler.
- Fire and rescue is a volunteer department at the township, with emergencies through 911.
- No township income tax. Ohio townships can’t levy one.
- Natural gas isn’t everywhere. The township has posted information on a Columbia Gas expansion project on Beach Road, so check whether your house is on gas, propane or electric heat before you list.
Parks, schools and land that won’t be developed
A good part of Granger is protected open space. Medina County Park District’s Allardale, a three-generation farm on Remsen Road donated by Stan and Esther Allard in 1992, opened in 1997. Carolyn Ludwig Mugrage Park on Windfall Road came from a donated 102-acre family farm and has a paved trail, a dog park and a fishing lake. The township’s own park sits behind the administration building on Ridge Road.
Granger students attend the Highland Local School District, which runs Granger Elementary along with Hinckley and Sharon elementary schools, Highland Middle and Highland High School. The district earned five stars on the 2026 Ohio report card.
Should you list your Granger home?
For most updated Granger homes, yes. On a house worth $400,000 or more, the dollars you’d give up to a cash discount can outweigh the time saved. We’ll show you both numbers.
A direct sale is the better tool for the farmhouse that needs a full rehab, the inherited property with a barn full of equipment, or the house you need sold before a move. We buy as-is, with no repairs or cleaning, and close when you’re ready. For probate, sheriff sales and the $3 per $1,000 conveyance fee, see our Medina County page, then get a written offer.