One of the few disadvantages of modern photography is the carelessness that accompanies its ease. Digital cameras and smartphones make it possible to capture any noteworthy moment or building anywhere at anytime! But these easy photos linger on our devices instead of finding their way into a photograph album, where names, dates, and locations could help tell the story of the captured image. And though I pride myself on remembering where I took certain images – sometimes I simply can’t remember. In January 2018, for instance, I was driving through Whitley County, Kentucky, and stopped by the side of the road to take a picture of a two-story frame country store. I have no idea where exactly this store is – even if it is even still standing. (Yes, I am hanging my head with shame.)
A great example of a rural country store in Whitley County, Kentucky.
The store is compelling. The front gable building, now clad in a pressed metal siding (which has been on the structure for a very long time), has two side additions and a two-story porch. Two of the porch posts rest on brick piers painted a bright blue. Similar-looking stores I’ve encountered while wandering Kentucky often housed a lodge or other fraternal organization on the second story.
I’d love to have that old truck!
Large windows flank the entry door, which is blocked by a long wooden bench – a perfect spot for watching the world go by, or at least for visiting with folks coming to the store. A metal awning protects the entrance to the small one-story addition to the right, and the side shed addition to the left of the main building was likely for storage. Several brick flues, which would have vented coal burning stoves, poke through the roof.
The circa 1937 bridge over the Cumberland River.
I do know that I was somewhere near the Cumberland River when I saw the store, and perhaps close to the three-span Truss bridge that carries Kentucky Route 92 over the river. The photos following the one of the store are of this wonderful steel bridge.
I love a truss bridge.
Despite a bit of Google streetview reconnaissance, I didn’t spy this store near the bridge. I hope someone out there in Whitley County can perhaps help me remedy my forgetfulness, and provide a general location for the historic building. It’s hard to tell much about a building’s story when you can’t even mark it on a map…
**Thanks to some wonderful readers, the location of this store has been found! It is southeast of the Cumberland River, in the rural community of Carpenter.
It’s about a mile north of Siler and a few miles southeast of the truss bridge. I sent you a p.m. with a Google maps coordinates.
Thank you!
Such a problem isn’t it? Earlier this summer I was asked to put together a presentation of Delaware’s historic architecture for the Annual Meeting of Preservation Delaware. Ah, piece of cake? NO! Things fade after 4 years and slides are hard to identify. Luckily many of the slides where taken with digital cameras and the meta data gave some need information.
I have never been to Whitley County, but I like solving a mystery. This store is on the south side of Highway 92, about three miles to the southeast of that Cumberland River bridge, just a little past the intersection with Lick Fork Road. Google says that the little community there is Carpenter, Kentucky.
Here is the Google map link for the store: https://www.google.com/maps/place/36%C2%B042'45.7%22N+83%C2%B058'09.0%22W/@36.7127013,-83.9713637,896m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d36.7126968!4d-83.9691754.
The Wikipedia page for Carpenter, Kentucky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter,_Kentucky.
It’s always better when it is someone else’s mystery! Thank you for your sleuthing. I didn’t go far enough (and didn’t look at aerial images) down the road – I was supposed to working, after all. 🙂
Store is in fact still standing, in operation. Owned by Clarence Peace who lives in the top of it. He’s been there longer than my lifetime but I’m unsure of the complete history of the place.