"Cities, Towns & Countryside"

4th Annual Preservation Week 2002 Photo-Essay Competition

This beautiful building is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Keenan of Stone, Kentucky. Originally known as "The Club House", it was built in the early 1900's by the Pond Creek Coal Company, who owned the mines, as a boarding house for many of the company officials. Most of the boarders were single men and women. Many of the women were school teachers or worked in the coal company's office. The men who stayed there usually worked in the office or were company bosses.
The coal company spared no expense in seeing that the people who stayed there had the very best of food and accommodations. Some of it's housekeepers were: Mrs. T. P. Connelly, Mrs. Phillip Goodwill and Mrs. Bess Stultz.

During the 1920's and 1930's there were often parties and dances held in the Clubhouse. The dances were formal affairs in which the ladies were dressed in evening gowns and big bands were hired by the coal company to play the favorites of the day. "My parents went to many dances there before they were married". (Peggy King Interview)

Because of it's beauty and the active role it played in the community, many special events were held on the front lawn. Special meetings of mining officials often took place there. There were also card parties for the people in the community. A picture in The Pioneer newspaper, dated 1922, shows a First Aid meeting with hundreds of people from many coal mines in attendance. The Pond Creek Coal Company also sponsored a band to give special concerts on the lawn. The lawn was cared for by a coal company employee who planted a variety of flowers and kept the grass cut. "The children who lived in the neighborhood knew that the Clubhouse lawn was off-limits because Mr. John Blackburn would be there to yell at you to 'GET OFF THE GRASS'." (Peggy King interview) A photocopy of the original building is attached. In 1940 a fire occurred which destroyed a large portion of the building. It was repaired but in later years the decision was made to tear down all but the newer west wing. The west wing is the only part of the original building that is still standing. This is the home that is presently owned by Mr. & Mrs. James Keenan. (See photos attached).
Many people think that Henry Ford of Ford Motor Company built this building. But there are pictures that prove the building was there several years before Henry Ford owned the coal company. Mr. and Mrs. Keenan live in a special house that has a lot of Kentucky history. Hopefully, it's history will be preserved forever as a memorial to the coal mining industry of the Stone area and to the special people who lived and worked here.

[This information was obtained by interview with Peggy King, Chairman of the Historical Committee of Stone Heritage, Inc. on March 10, 2002. Mrs. King lived in Stone, Kentucky from 1930 until 1953. Her father lived in Stone from 1919 until 1979].

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.