Catching the rays at Hemphill Community Center in Jackhorn, Ky !

Wilderness Trace Solar is so proud to be a big part of this project! Below is an excerpt from Hemphill’s page … who they are, what they do. Beautiful.

Hemphill Community Center was originally formed in 1968, and was then housed in the back of the Old Hemphill Fountain, which was one of the original Elkhorn Coal Corporation buildings. James Johnson and Mella Anderson of Hemphill, who worked tirelessly to establish a park and horse riding show grounds, founded the organization. After a few years, the Community Center disbanded and dissolved.

The Community Center is now housed in what was formerly the Hemphill Grade School Building, where three generations of students attended school between 1944 and 1990. The school closed in 1990 and left a community without a gathering space. Beginning in 1997, the community worked with the Letcher County Fiscal Court and the Letcher County School Board to use the vacant rundown building as a community gathering space.

Hemphill Community Center is now a gathering place for families, friends, and neighbors. A place where mountain traditions such as quilt making, traditional music and hospitality abound. A place to host reunions, parties, receptions and community events. It is also home of the Letcher County Coal Miner’s Monument and the Hemphill Catering Company.

Weekly music, dance and food takes place every Friday evening at the Friday Nite Pickin’ music event. Other activities include survival skill training, instruction in shape note singing, quilting, cooking, woodworking, beekeeping, canning and preserving food and traditional music.