The Granville Historical Society was founded in 1885 to promote an understanding of the history of the Granville community, to collect and preserve materials relating to Granville's history, to encourage the education of children in this history and to make these materials available to the public. The Society maintains a museum with displays that include many pioneer artifacts and those from the later 19th and from the 20th century. The rich archives of the Society hold original documents and images ranging from the minutes of the company who settled Granville in 1805 to contemporary organizations.