Pine Mountain Settlement School is located in a rural setting about northeast of Harlan, the county seat of Harlan County, Kentucky, southeast of the junction of Kentucky Routes 221 and 510.
History
Founding
"A National Historic Landmark, Pine Mountain Settlement School was founded in 1913 as a school for children in the commonwealth's remote southeastern mountains and a social center for surrounding communities. The school was the dream of a local man, William Creech Sr., who was troubled by the area's lack of educational opportunities, and the prevalence of social problems and rampant disease. He donated land for the school and recruited two women, Katherine Pettit of Lexington, Kentucky, and Ethel de Long, a New Jersey native, to establish and run the new institution. These two women enlisted the help of architect Mary Rockwell Hook of Kansas City to draw up plans for the campus and its buildings."
Uses
Pine Mountain Settlement School grew out of the urban settlement movement, which established institutions such as Hull House. The school has served many purposes since its founding in 1913, over a century ago. It remains primarily an educational institution.
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, a hospital, and supported local music and craft initiatives such as . Today, in addition to cultural and environmental education, Pine Mountain Settlement School offers agricultural, culinary, and arts and crafts programming for adults and students.
adopted Pine Mountain Settlement School as its national philanthropy in 1945. Members of alumnae and collegiatechapters 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.
