Document Type

Video

Publication Date

Spring 2021

Abstract

A strong sense of community is a hard thing to come by these days, knowing the history of a place that used to be the center of a now sparse community is even harder. This presentation will explore one such history in the hope of inspiring community building through essential common spaces. The Rock Fork Community Center, now simply known as Rock Fork Attic or just The Attic, began as a place for the small community of Rock Fork in Knott County, Kentucky, to gather. For many years the community came together there for social events, fund raisers, school activities, and charity auctions. The center was kept alive in its early years by the community alone. Among its many purposes, The Attic also served for a time as a daycare and schoolhouse. In its later years it housed a local business and was a designated place to vote until 2018. In its prime as the Rock Fork Community Center, it was also a place for local artisans to come together. The Attic hosted many a quilting circle and auction to sell local handmade items. The center is located on the presenter's family private property, and her great-grandmother was part of the first family to settle in Rock Fork, the last living member of the original community center board, and the last living member to use The Attic. The Attic is no longer open to the public, but it can still live on as a model for the diverse ways similar centers may serve small communities.

Download

Share

COinS