Building trains: Olive Hill arts center continues renovations
Mar. 25—OLIVE HILL — Plans are in the works in Olive Hill for updating a multi-use building for arts and education.
Olive Hill Center for Arts and Education still needs renovation, but the second and third floors are in use, Operations Director Cory Claxon said.
"The third floor houses the Olive Hill Branch of the Carter County Public Library. Second floor has two renovated classrooms that we use for catering and hospitality of performers during our large performances," he said, adding that space also is used for workshops, classes and training, as well as rental.
The Olive Hill Historical Society has administered the Olive Hill Center for Arts and Education, an abandoned high school building, since its incorporation in 1999. Arts programming at the center has included historical dramas, visual art lessons and exhibits and musical performances.
Work on the building is still needed.
"We have a third classroom on the second floor that was partially renovated and needs HVAC, lighting and electrical outlets added," Claxon said, noting the room will be used for violin lessons. "Our vision is to have the whole building eventually restored with certain classrooms dedicated for certain kinds of classes and workshops or meeting spaces, like a kitchen, a pottery room, possibly a music studio. We'd also like to have public museum dedicated to locally and regionally important history, among other things."
Any changes or additions to the center depends on grant funding, Claxon said.
"We are in no way financially capable of performing such a large project on our own. With the way our recently utility bills have been, we're lucky to be open, really," he said.
One project Claxon is especially interested in is a model railroad."A small group of us, ranging from Ironton to Berea, have been interested in establishing an HO scale (1/84th of the real size) model railroad layout of the Chesapeake & Ohio Lexington Subdivision," he said. "That line started out as the Ashland Coal & Iron Railway hauling pig iron from the hills and furnaces from eastern Carter County to the steel mills in Ashland."
But the project is on hold, awaiting funding to renovate the room dedicated to the train layout. He said they hope to find some federal grants or loans to complete renovations. Donation of a partial layout is in the works, but the room must be updated before a layout can be assembled.
Claxon said the Chesapeake & Ohio Lexington Subdivision was chosen because of its importance to history, tying together cities and communities and facilitating economic development.
"Hitchins, for example, once hosted the world's largest fire brick plant," he said. "Along with others at Grahn, Olive Hill, and Haldeman — and probably others I've forgotten. Fire brick was once critically important when nearly all large machinery was powered by steam. and Carter and Rowan Counties had the finest clay for thermal use."
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