Pine Mountain Settlement School

Pine Mountain Settlement School is located on Pine Mountain in Harlan County, Kentucky. The settlement school focuses on Appalachian and environmental education.

History

Infobox_nrhp | name =Pine Mountain Settlement School
nrhp_type = nhld


caption =
nearest_city= Bledsoe, Kentucky
lat_degrees = 36
lat_minutes = 56
lat_seconds = 55
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 83
long_minutes = 10
long_seconds = 59
long_direction = W
locmapin = Kentucky
area =
built =1913
architect= Hook,Mary Rockwell; Zande,Luigi
architecture= Other
added = September 06, 1978
governing_body = Private
refnum=78001337cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Founding

Pine Moutain Settlement School was the dream of Katherine Pettit, an educator who had previously co-founded the Hindman Settlement School in Knott County, Kentucky. Pettit and Ethel DeLong Zande co-founded Pine Mountain Settlement School in 1913. The school was designed by Mary Rockwell Hook, a prominent Kansas City architect.cite web| url =http://www.womeninkentucky.com/site/education/K_Pettit.html| title =Educators: Katherine Pettit| publisher =Women in Kentucky | accessdate =2008-03-20]

Kentucky philanthropist William Creech, Sr., who said that he had "heart and cravin' that our people may grow better" [cite web| url =http://www.umlbetataus.org/service.html| title =An Old Man's Hopes| publisher =Beta Tau Chapter of Alpha Sigma Tau at the University of Massachusetts Lowell | accessdate =2008-03-22] donated 700 acres for the establishment of the school.cite web| url =http://www.alphasigmatau.org/alphasigmatau/?page_id=42| title =Pine Mountain Settlement School| publisher =Alpha Sigma Tau| accessdate =2008-03-20]

Uses

Pine Mountain Settlement School grew out of the settlement movement, which established institutions such as Hull House. The school has served many purposes in since its founding nearly a century ago.

* From 1913 to 1930, Pine Mountain served as a boarding school for children of elementary and middle school age.cite web| url =http://www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com/history.php| title =History| publisher =Pine Mountain Settlement School | accessdate =2008-03-20]
* In 1930, Pine Mountain became a boarding high school, encouraging vocational and artistic development as well as academics.
* In 1949, Pine Mountain and the county educational system began to jointly operate an elementary school.
* In the 1970s, Pine Mountain began to focus its efforts on environmental education.

In addition to operating as an educational institution, Pine Mountain Settlement School has served its community in other ways. For example, during Pine Mountain's time as a high school, it sponsored Work Experience Training, which gave men job training and helped them find employment. Pine Mountain has also operated as a farm, health clinic, and a supporter of local music and crafts. Today, in addition to cultural and environmental education, Pine Mountain Settlement School offers assistance to local low-performing students.

Relationship with Alpha Sigma Tau

Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority adopted Pine Mountain Settlement School as its national philanthropy in 1945.

Members of alumnae and collegiate chapters and colonies of Alpha Sigma Tau raise money annually for Pine Mountain Settlement School. The Sorority supports Pine Mountain Settlement School through the Alpha Sigma Tau National Foundation, Inc.

References

External links

* [http://www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com Pine Mountain Settlement School]
* [http://www.kingdomcome.org/maps/pmss.html 3-D map, videos, and oral histories of Pine Mountain Settlement School]
* [http://www.alphasigmatau.org/alphasigmatau/?page_id=42 Pine Mountain Settlement School and Alpha Sigma Tau]