The HTA or Portuguese Hall slowly decaying while awaiting demolition. The hall used to be the center of many celebrations and Festa feasts. Photo by Seti Long

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - A fixture in the historical tapestry of Gridley’s past has recently met a verdict on its fate.

The HTA Hall at 198 Washington St. will be demolished.

Gridley’s HTA Hall, or Portuguese Hall as it is known to locals, was constructed in 1920, according to a letter written by Michael C. Vieira, president of the Gridley Holy Trinity Association.

The building bears the HTA mark above its long-closed doors, affirming its role as the gathering place of the Holy Trinity Association and celebratory grounds for the Festa holiday.

The letter describes the Festa holiday tradition in which the Portuguese community celebrated with a parade, crowned queens and feasted in honor of a religious event that occurred in the Azores Islands. Local Portuguese dairy owners and farmers donated meat, goods or services to make the Festa celebration a major event for the community.

“Cooking was performed outdoors in wood-fired boilers and celebrations lasted for days or even a week,” wrote Vieira in the letter from the board announcing the hall’s closure.

The Portuguese Hall officially closed in 2017 after hosting the 106th Holy Trinity Festa in Gridley.

“For the first time in my life, and in the memories of those still here with us today,” Vieira said, “after this Mass, we will not be celebrating with a dinner of beef and sopas at the Portuguese Hall.”

Vieira explained the HTA board struggled with the cost of operating the hall, citing upkeep to the aging building as a primary concern, coupled with maintenance, taxes and insurance costs. Despite the emotional impact, the Gridley Holy Trinity Association was left with no choice but to close the hall until further notice.

Multiple generations of family members are pictured here in this image from a passed Festa, illustrating the tradition of the Festa holidays. The three young women in white, the Fischer sisters, were Festa Queens that year. Pictured from left, Annie Parker (Fischer), Connie Fischer (Vieira), Megan Fischer, Candie Vieira and Stephanie Fischer. Photo courtesy of Annie Parker

For years, the hall sat locked and unused while age continued to take its toll.

The hall’s close proximity to the Wilson Elementary School campus caught the attention of the Gridley Unified School District. Gridley Unified School District finalized the purchase of the property in November 2025, according to the GUSD board agenda.

At the Jan. 21 meeting, Gridley Unified School District board members voted to declare the property surplus and authorize it for demolition.

Gridley Unified School District Superintendent Justin Kern said the building had been deemed unsafe and uninhabitable.

“Unfortunately, we have to take it down,” Kern said, acknowledging the role the building once played in the community. “The intent is to build district warehouse space and ancillary office space."

Community members who remember the celebrations held at the location said they were saddened to hear the news.

Annie Parker, who grew up at “the Hall,” as her family called it, was one of three generations of Portuguese women who participated in the festivals and were crowned queens during the Festa celebrations.

“That hall had been part of my family for generations,” Parker said. “We would have family get-togethers there, festas of course, but we would literally be there, multiple generations and several family tree branches, every few months.”

The date of the building’s removal had not been scheduled at the time of publication.