"Cities, Towns & Countryside"

4th Annual Preservation Week 2002 Photo-Essay Competition

When I started to write this essay, I really didn't know much about the buildings, so I decided to call a neighbor to get more information. When I talked to a neighbor, he told me what he know about the Red Robin buildings. He said that his grandfather used to go to the Red Robin buildings. In the early 1920's through the 1930's the buildings contained a company store, the Stone Theatre, a barber shop, and a restaurant called the "Y". Mr. Hubbard also told me that his grandfather and his grandmother went there together. He said that the first Coca-Cola that his grandmother ever drank came from the "Y". The buildings also contained a post office, a grocery store, and a doctor's office and on the top floor of one of the buildings there was a furniture store. The buildings also served as the Easter Coal Company's office building. Even more recently, the buildings have been used as a meeting place for the boy scouts in the 1991. Now the buildings aren't really used, but they are still very important to our community. We need to help to preserve these buildings to keep memories alive. These buildings hold many memories of many people. Not only are the buildings important to our small community, but also to all of Eastern Kentucky. The buildings also represent the dedication of coal miners everywhere. Coal Miners have very dangerous jobs and they deserve a great amount of respect and recognition from everyone, maybe they don't have the highest levels of education, but they work hard and strive to provide for their families. The first Red Robin building has writing on it above the door. The writing reads:

Red Robin
EASTER COAL CORP.
Stone, KY
Here American Workmen Mine, Prepare, and Ship
The World's Finest
(the part of the sign below is hard to read due to the dirt and age. This is what we can make out.)
High Volatile
Bituminous Coal.

Eastern Kentucky may not be known for many things, but the coal mines are well known throughout the state. These buildings represent what a 'coal boom' community started on. Destroying these buildings would be destroying history; taking away memories of loved ones who worked so hard in the Eastern Coal mines (and other mining companies). Maybe not everyone is proud of their parent(s) for being a coal miner, but I am. My dad is a coal miner and has been for over 30 years. He works long, hard hours and he was once an Easter Coal Company employee. Not only do these buildings 'hold' memories from the past, but they also provided for many families and, maybe these buildings served as an office for the company that helped to put clothing on your back, food on your table, and helped to pay for your child's education. Maybe the community can reopen the buildings as a recreation center and give children and teenagers a place to go and keep them out of trouble. Maybe these buildings could bring a change upon the community and help to prevent kids from turning to drugs and vandalism just because they had nothing else to do. These buildings are like historic monuments that we have to be proud of and we should do all that we can to save them.

The next time you drive by, think about the possibilities. Think about helping our community to grow together and have a greater respect for each other and the community.

This essay and photograph(s) are the property of Preservation Kentucky, Inc. and Kentucky Heritage Council and that any use of the photo or essay must be approved by PK and KHC.