One of the most fulfilling aspects of writing this blog is hearing from people with personal connections to and knowledge of the buildings I feature. Three years ago, I wrote about an interesting house I spied as I drove through Campton, Kentucky. There was no paperwork associated with the house in the usual archives I haunt, and I concluded that the building’s past would remain a mystery. But fate had other ideas, and now I can share a bit more of this building’s story!
Side elevation and façade.
As I suspected, this fascinating building has assumed many different uses during its existence. Upon publication of my first post about the building, several readers commented that it looked vaguely institutional. Might it have been built as a school? A quick internet search discovered an undated photograph of a group of men and women posed in front of brick building that bears a good deal of resemblance to the house on Washington Street. Segmentally arched windows, a door with a two-light transom…even the sidewalk has the same footprint as the one in front of the building today!
An undated photograph of the Campton, Kentucky Teachers Institute. Photograph from the Pearl Day Bach Photographic Collection at the University of Kentucky.
Further bolstering this theory, I received a message from a reader, who recognized the building as one contained in a family photograph album. Her father, Martin Hiram Taulbee, attended school in this building in the 1930s. The first publicly funded high school in Wolfe County, a building constructed as part of the Works Progress Administration, didn’t open until 1942. Before that, any further education (past the sixth grade, often) was only available to those who could pay their way.
Taulbee went on to become a teacher. Here he is at his desk at Chattanooga Valley High School, Walker County, Georgia. Photo provided.
Taulbee did just that. In addition to working for a local farmer, he lit the fires in every hearth of the school before classes began each day. Since all of the chimneys have (presumably) been taken down below the roofline, I don’t know how many hearths there might have been – but it would have been a dirty and time-consuming task.
The former Wolfe County High School (now apartments), built between 1937 and 1942 as part of the Works Progress Administration. Photograph from the NRHP files.
Education was a goal and also a path to a better life for many Kentuckians. I can only imagine the long hours that Taulbee worked in order to further his education and achieve his goal of graduating from high school. And then, like so many other young men and women in this country, war interrupted his future plans.
Martin Hiram Taulbee served in the Navy during World War II. Photograph provided.
Taulbee enlisted in the Navy, and after the end of World War II, he came home and went to the University of Kentucky. After earning his Bachelors degree, Taulbee taught school until he retired – and also earned his Masters Degree in Education from West Georgia College.
Another angle of the façade and side elevation.
There’s still a great deal I don’t know about this building – there are no Sanborn Fire Insurance maps of Campton, and most of Eastern Kentucky has been sorely neglected when it comes to the documentation of historic resources. It likely stopped functioning as a school by 1942. At some point in the second half of the 20th century, it was remodeled into apartments.
Even with lingering questions about the building’s origins, I can now put a face – that of Martin Taulbee – with the building. And I can imagine cold winter mornings, breath steaming in the air, as hearths were swept of ash or soot, and wood or coal shoveled in, to bring a bit of heat to the large building. Not fancy work, but necessary work. And hard work was welcomed, as it meant reaching one’s goals. Martin Taulbee passed away in 2007, leaving behind a family that loved him very much – and I am so glad that a little bit of his story made its way to me.
You can read the original post at this link: https://wp.me/p527lo-W7
Such a cool story!
Thanks. Reading GTG – a highlight of my day, as usual.
Thank you so much! It’s a struggle to make the time to write these days, but it always makes me feel better & to know that people enjoy the posts makes me very happy.
I lived in that house when I was a little girl about 48 years ago give or take a few years.
My father Clinton R. Phipps owned it at the time.
He (Clinton) was later the first uniformed police officer in Campton.
Janie – Thank you so much for your diligence in tracing this story. Having grown up in Mt. Sterling, I now live in Campton where both my parents were raised.
I really like this story, I love reading about the history of Kentucky and its amazing people. I’m so glad I stumbled on this.
Thank you so much for reading! I am glad you enjoyed it.
This is the original home of attorney William Landsaw Hurst of Wolfe County. Construction of his law office in Campton took place between 1875 and 1887. So house was probably built around the same time. You have a photo of the historical law office.
How wonderful and what an unexpected connection! Thank you so much for this information! Do you know what the name of the school was that was located in this house in the 1930s?
I think they just called it Campton High School
I am of opinion this is more likely a photo of students at the Kentucky Wesley Institute, Campton, KY that closed in 1912.
Though maybe they were at the Hurst home for some social event. Also as this is part of Edna Bach’s photo collection–most of her collection was of the Hazel Green Academy.
I’ll tell you a funny story. but don’t publish it. My dad went to school there a couple of years. The heat for the school was pot belly stove fueled by wood or coal. There was a designated person to build the fires each morning. My dad and a cohort placed a skunk in one of the stoves so when the fire starter came, what an unexpected surprise he had that morning. I’m wondering how did they manage to catch a skunk. Or maybe it was a dead skunk.
Love to read about history in Wolfe co, being that I grew up there as a kid . My family was Leslie Hollon and Bessie (tyra)Hollon . We grew up landsaw and move to campton when I was in the 6th grade . There were 7 of us four boys And 3 girls . Only me prentice and 2 sisters Angela and melody are living . Lots of memories of Home.
Wonderful!
If I am not mistaken the red brick with people in front is pine ridge school ( dessie scott now) and the high school wpa built was the school on the hill ( school apartments now) There are old pictures of campton showing the Washington st house as a white wood siding colonial stlye house not a school back in probably 1800s before most of Campton was built.
Definitely not Pine Ridge or Dessie Scott school. This photo is much earlier.
On the photo it says Kentucky Teacher Institute. Never heard of that.