Crittenden County ranks next to last in the number of places documented on the state’s historic registry. But that’s about to change.
Twenty-two local residents attended a public meeting Monday night at the local library to discuss what they could do to improve the community’s chronicled heritage.
“You have great resources here,” said Rachel Kennedy, executive director of Preservation Kentucky, the organization that recently received a small grant to study historic places, mostly farm-related, in Crittenden and Livingston counties.
Kennedy said the reason Crittenden County ranks 119th out of 120 counties with its 22 documented historic sites is because there are greater networks pushing other communities. It isn’t for the lack of interesting landmarks.
“The Crittenden Springs Hotel is a fascinating story,” Kennedy said. “I can’t wait for our group to get out there.”
A team from the Kentucky Archaeological Survey will be visiting several locations in the two counties starting next month. Janie-Rice Brother, senior architectural historian for Kentucky Archaeological Survey and project leader, said a group will be moving around the countryside for week-long information gathering exercises starting March 14 and April 4. If necessary, the team will be back in May. Once information and photographs are collected, professionals will catalog selected sites and save their stories for posterity. In some cases, those places could quality for the National Registry of Historic Places, which opens the door for benefits such as tax credits and tourism.
Mary Tabor, whose family owns the property where the Crittenden Springs Hotel was located, was excited to know that the site has potential for getting on the state registry of historic places. The only problem, she said, is that most of it is gone. The hotel was booming in the late 1800s, but a nearby mining operation inadvertently sapped its greatest resource – the allegedly healing sulphur water. When they pumped the mines dry, it sucked the hotel’s water supply and destroyed the appeal of the immaculate destination for many wealthy tourists. By the early 1900s, the hotel was closed.
“The only thing left is part of the old house, which they say was the lobby of the hotel,” she said. “There’s an old cabin on the farm next to us, too.”
Bill McIntyre, field surveyor for the Kentucky Heritage Council, was interested in a couple of old barns brought to his attention. Jesse and Dorothy Hughes had a scale model of their barn, which was built more than 100 years ago. Donne Tedford and her son, James, brought a movie camera with some video of their double-crib, log barn.
“It was a grainy video, but you tell it was pegged and dovetailed,” said McIntyre, who specializes in dating old barns and cabins “It’s hard to say how old it is until I got look at it.”
Pat Carter and Donna Haire brought photographs of old cabins to the meeting.
“This was very interesting,” Carter said. “I’d like for the man who dates cabins to come see ours.”
Four people from state organizations hosted meetings here and at Smithland early this week. With information gleaned from local residents, they will develop a plan for surveying local sites. Brother said the effort must be as efficient as possible. That’s why they want help identifying sites of interest.
“This isn’t a large grant. It’s just $8,800.”
In comparison, Brother said her group had $30,000 to study Bath, a much smaller county.
The group has been consulting with local historian Brenda Underdown, who took them on a brief tour of the county Monday despite periodic rainfall.
“People like Brenda know so much about the people, places, sites and history. That’s something you don’t find too often,” said Kennedy. “And she’s so willing to help.”
Pictured above is Marion resident Lisa Beard (left) showing photographs of a Civil War-era home to Rachel Kennedy and Janie-Rice Brother.
