"Historic Places at the Crossroads"

7th Annual Preservation Week 2005 Photo-Essay Competition

First Place: Kristeena Rosser, Pembroke Elementary School

Title: The Pembroke Ruritan Community Center

The Pembroke Ruritan Community Center was the former Pembroke High School Gymnasium. It was built in 1939 by the PWA (Public Works Administration) under President Franklin Roosevelt's Administration. It was then called the Physical/Industrial Arts Building.

It was a high school gymnasium until 1959 when the Pembroke Independent School System was consolidated into the Christian County School System. Many Friday and Saturday nights were spent there watching Pembroke play basketball. At that time there were seven high schools in Christian County. It was the social attraction in town. Then it was a Jr. High basketball gymnasium until 1966when the 7 th and 8 th graders were sent to a new middle school in Hopkinsville. It was a Pembroke Elementary gymnasium until 1972 when a new school was built in another location in Pembroke.

After 1972 the Christian County Board of Education rented the gymnasium at a nominal price to local churches all over Christian County. In 1979 the Pembroke Ruritan Club started renting the gym at a nominal price from the Christian County Board of Education. Jr Pro Basketball was started in Pembroke that year and is still playing and practicing in that gym. Thousands and thousands of children have played ball there from October until March each year and sometimes in the summer months.

The Pembroke Ruritan Club bought the gym from the Christian County Board of Education in 2002 and has made many, many improvements to the building. They changed the name to the Pembroke Ruritan Community Center. Many activities along with basketball are held there. Many fundraisers, gospel singings and donkey basketball are held there. The Ruritan Club has a barbeque in the spring and a fish fry in the fall to raise money to help maintain the building.

The new Pembroke Elementary uses the gym for school functions such as plays and gym shows. The old school had some new rooms added in the 1960's and those rooms are still there in the back of the building and are used by farmers' migrant workers.

At one time the local Minit Mart tried to buy the lot and tear down the building to build a bigger Minit Mart. The town of Pembroke was outraged and the Ruritan Club convinced the Christian County Board of Education not to do so and then made the plans to buy it themselves.

This building is a valuable asset to the community and to many, many children all over Christian County. It was built for children and is still being used by children.

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.