Susan Orlean, of the New Yorker, once said that living in a rural region exposes the body and mind to marvelous things: the natural world, the “particular texture” of small-town life, and the “exhilarating experience” of open space. It’s not difficult to argue that. Located in a remote town in the hills of eastern Kentucky, Hazel Green Academy, set among the hardwoods and abutting flowing pastures, opened to students in 1880. The private school offered a good education to the under-served and boasted low tuition rates and a stepping stone to college and “a higher sphere in life.” The school’s curriculum consisted mostly of college preparatory courses, and students were expected to participate in religious activities—not at all surprising as it was operated in part by the Christian Woman’s Board of Mission of Kentucky and then the United Christian Missionary Society, a branch of the Disciples of Christ Christian Church. Time marched on. By the mid-1920s, the Academy boasted a 212-acre farm, a used clothing store, a small hospital, and a kindergarten, along with a gymnasium, administration building, classrooms, and an arts and crafts complex. But free public education began sweeping through the state throughout the early 20th century, and by 1929, Hazel Green only offered courses for middle and high school students. In 1965, grades 7 and 8 were dropped because of low demand. Hazel Green Academy became an independent institution affiliated with the Christian Church in 1971 and began a major push to strengthen its fundraising and recruitment efforts.…
Category: Explorations
While the demise of rural life in many areas is overstated, there are many areas that are in long-term decline, brought about by sustained job losses and single-focus economies. In Cannel City, Kentucky’s case, it was coal and timber.
After moving back to Kentucky from Cincinnati, I set out to revisit the long-abandoned Frenchburg Presbyterian College and found an unexpected caretaker still living inside the remote campus.
The Old Louis Hunter Distillery in Harrison County, Kentucky closed in 1974. After 40 years of abandonment, it’s still wonderfully intact.
Exploring a disused military ammunition depot brings back thoughts of the Walking Dead. Perhaps it is because I have been binge watching the post-apocalyptic horror series on television, or rather that I have a fascination with post-human interactions. And because of that, I went through my archives and found some great images that I have never shared that evokes that resemblance.
Much thanks to everyone who came out to Old Crow Distillery along Glenns Creek in Kentucky! The weather was perfect – partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures provided the perfect exploring experience.
Revisiting an old friend at a whiskey bar, I was reminded of a Mark Twain quote. Just like the old friend, I repaid another visit to Old Crow Distillery.
Down many miles of winding, two-lane roads lies the community of Gest, Kentucky, and the Kentucky River Lock and Dam No. 3.
Champion Paper, which later became Champion International Paper, International Paper and then SMART Papers, was a paper mill in Hamilton, Ohio. Once employing 5,000 and boasting the largest facilities in the nation, the factory was the bread-and-butter of the working-class city.
In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, there is a small community called Peyton’s Store. At the center of this rural area stands a truly unique house.
The Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church is located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was host to a Slovak Catholic congregation. Designed by F.W. Wilson of McKeesport in the Gothic Revival architectural style, the building’s stance on the side of a hill, with its 150-foot tower, was to evoke a commanding presence over the Monongahela River valley.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its amazing architecture, the Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church in Detroit needs to be saved.
I miss the January and Wood Company in Maysville, Kentucky. Dating to 1834, the firm was a cotton mill that diversified into synthetics. It closed in 2003.
Waveland was constructed between 1797 and 1800 in Danville, Kentucky. After being abandoned for several decades, it is slated for restoration.
Nestled amidst the storied distilleries that comprise the Kentucky Bourbon Trail lies Old Crow Distillery, a once-proud producer of such esteemed whiskey brands as Old Grand Dad, Bourbon DeLuxe, and Sunny Brook. Alas, the distillery’s operations fell silent in 1987 when it succumbed to a buy-out from the formidable Jim Beam corporation, its competitor.
Amidst the verdant hills and winding waterways of northeastern Kentucky, the Eastern Kentucky Railway (EK) once stood as a vital artery, its iron rails spanning 36 miles and connecting the communities of Riverton and Webbville.
The Windsor School, located in Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills neighborhood, opened in 1888 but closed in 2004 after years of decline.
Fairview School is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and was constructed from 1888 to 1890 in the Romanesque Revival architectural style. A three-story addition, designed by local architect Edward J. Schulte, was built in 1957-58. The addition was meant to be expanded once the original structure was razed, but declining enrollment led to those plans never coming to light.