 |
| Original Lincoln Hall, ca. 1915. Photo: Jackson Taylor. Source: KY Explorer. |
Nine miles south of the Jackson County seat of McKee rests the community of Annville where the Reformed Church of America once had its college. Like so many communities across Kentucky, a “Campus Road” or similar name harkens back to an area when small, regional schools or colleges dotted the landscape — many in lieu of our modern high school which were often too far for students to reach, particularly in poor weather or at the time of the harvest. With dormitories on site, Annville was able to avoid these issues as well.
 |
| Lincoln Hall – Annville, Ky. Source: NRHP Application. |
Rev. William Worthington, instrumental in establishing and growing the school, had the purpose of “Complete Living for the Mountain people.” With the lens of political correctness, this mission statement may not seem appropriate, but considering the era the meaning is true: “to give the mountain people the best possible opportunity for the largest development for service in home, Church and state.”
The most notable building at the Annville Institute is Lincoln Hall, constructed in 1923 after a fire destroyed the original hall. The new Lincoln Hall is a Colonial Revival and would be more fitting or expected in Williamsburg, Va. than in Annville, Ky. Atop, the ten-foot square cupola features built-in arches, a metal dome and a presently-inoperable clock.
The school closed in 1978, but the property remains in the hands of the Reformed Church of America. They recently had the site added to the National Register of Historic Places and are working to convert Lincoln Hall into a cultural center. You can read more about what is going on at Annville with the good work of Jackson County Ministries which has operated the site as a field mission since the school closed.