HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – A huge crowd came out to the St. Elmo Homemakers barbecue fundraiser on July 16, with proceeds to help fund restoration efforts at one of the county’s last remaining one room schoolhouses on Pembroke Oak Grove Road.
The annual barbecue has only recently turned into a fundraiser for the schoolhouse, and this year brought many community members together with county figures, city leaders, first responders and more in attendance. There was a silent auction, with items donated from local businesses and people to raise money.
History of the schoolhouse
Kathleen Carter, St. Elmo Homemakers President, told Christian County Now that the schoolhouse was built in 1898, located near Gates Grocery Store on Pembroke Oak Grove Road. It was owned by the Christian County Board of Education until 1949 when the Homemakers Club purchased it for $1,625.
Beginning in 1949, members of the Homemaker’s Club held cooking lessons, music classes, sewing classes, fashion lessons and more at the schoolhouse along with club meetings…