Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 10: BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Open House, 1919 – 1980s

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TAGS: Open House, Mary Rockwell Hook, women architects, fire, furniture designers

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Open House was just that, always open to visitors and full of air and light. Designed by Mary Rockwell Hook, the principal architect for the School, the house was built in the summer of 1919 to serve as her personal residence while she was at Pine Mountain. For most of her life, she came to the School for at least some weeks in summer. Often she had grandchildren in tow, or friends or relatives who joined her.

When she died, the house and the land became the property of Pine Mountain Settlement School. The building burned in the 1980s as a result of an unattended fire in the exterior fireplace.

The house was of frame construction with a siding of slab lumber, generally lumber rejected at the mills, as it contained “imperfections” such as bark and knot-holes. The plan was a two-story structure with a large living room and fireplace elevated for cooking, a small kitchen area and a lower sleeping porch in the back of the home. The upper level contained a large sleeping porch that had open windows on three sides that looked out into the dense forest that surrounded the building. It was a cool and hospitable home in summer but was not suitable for winter living as it had no source of heat other than the interior fireplace on the lower level.

Hook had the assistance of local men to bring her plan into reality, in particular, the two sons of Uncle William Creech who were skilled carpenters and builders. The Creech Letters include the following note

Columbus [Columbus Creech] was here working at O.H. [Open House] all day yesterday and Henry [Henry C. Creech] is coming to­morrow. It looks a little more livable now….

At the rear south side of the home, there was another fireplace that was an outdoor cooking area that adjoined a terrace. From this area, there was a short path to Laurel House that allowed for easy access to meals at the central dining area of the campus if needed.

Rustic, spacious, tranquil, and spartan in furniture and decoration, the house blended well with the environment. Often there were lovely blue Mexican glass pieces set about that held summer flowers or fall leaves. Many of the furniture pieces were of Mary Rockwell Hook’s design. She and her sister were avid furniture designers and the pieces reflected some of their earlier work.

The home was featured in an article by Mary Alice L’Heureux, “Well Connected,” in the May 2006 issue of Urban Planning & Architecture, volume 8, pages 78-83. This illustrated article included extensive information on Mary Rockwell Hook, particularly her work at Pine Mountain Settlement School.

OPEN HOUSE: The “Scrap House”

Mary Rockwell Hook writing to Glyn Morris in 1932 describes her Open House:

Dec. 27, [1932]
Dear Mr. Morris,

I was quite delighted with the appreciation of Open House shown by the writer of the article you sent me.

If you ever see him again, I wish you would tell him that I know he is a poet [?].

The House always seems to me a place of enchantment, I love every bit of it.

The man who built it for me called it the “Scrap House” because I used the ends of the logs left over for Big Log and the slabs were used to burn to run the sawmill [boiler]. We cut the rafters and studs and Uncle William stood over us to be sure we skinned them. The site was covered with blackberry bushes as tall as the rocks and I cut them out myself. Every bush fought for its life by attacking me in some vulnerable spot. ….

[To see the whole letter go to CORRESPONDENCE 1932. [https://pinemountainsettlement.net/?page_id=19835#jp-carousel-19845]

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OPEN HOUSE: Article in THE PINE CONE

OPEN HOUSE

Perched high above two large rocks, against the bosom of Pine Mountain, stands Open House. Its surroundings are silent save for the rustling of autumn leaves and distant sounds. The front door stands open revealing the cozy little living room, heated by the open fireplace.

Open House was built in the early spring of 1916 (sic) under the supervision of Uncle William Creech. The acre of land upon which it stands was given to Mary Rockwell Hook by Miss Katherine Pettit and Ethel de Long Zande. The building materials were financed by Marguerite Butler, Ethel McCullough and Mary Rockwell Hook for their enjoyment and that of summer guests of the school.

It was made from the ends of the logs left over from Big Log House, poles cut by Columbus Creech from the mountain and pieces of lumber from the saw mill.

In the early years Miss Butler and Miss McCullough gave their interest in the house to Miss Pettit, who later left it to the school.

Today Open House is one of the lovely spots of Pine Mountain, noted for its simplicity and its rustic furniture, pottery and weaving.

THE PINE CONE, Vol. 5, No., 3, November 1938, pages 3-4.

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SEE ALSO:

MARY ROCKWELL HOOK Biography
GUIDE TO MARY ROCKWELL HOOK CORRESPONDENCE
MARY ROCKWELL HOOK PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM I

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OPEN HOUSE: Gallery

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Title	OPEN HOUSE
Alt. Title	Mrs. Mary Rockwell Hook’s House
Identifier	Permalink: https://pinemountainsettlement.net/?page_id=6617
Creator	Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Alt. Creator	Mary Rockwell Hook
Subject Keyword	Open House ; Pine Mountain Settlement School ; Mary Rockwell Hook ; houses ; historical architecture ; architects ; fires ; frame buildings ; slab lumber sidings ; fireplaces ; sleeping porches ; terraces ; Laurel House ; furniture ; Mexican glass pieces ; furniture designers ; Mary Alice L’Heureux ; Urban Planning & Architecture ; magazine articles ; rustic designs ; footbridge ; Pine Mountain, KY ; Harlan County, KY ; The Pine Cone ; Marguerite Butler ; Ethel McCullough ; Katherine Pettit ; Ethel de Long Zande ; Uncle William Creech ; Columbus Creech ; Henry J. Creech ;
Subject LCSH	Open House — Pine Mountain Settlement School (Pine Mountain, Ky.) — History. Architecture — Pine Mountain Settlement School. Pine Mountain Settlement School (Pine Mountain, Ky.) — History. Harlan County (Ky.) — History. Historic Buildings — Kentucky — Appalachia. Rural schools — Kentucky — History. Schools — Appalachian Region, Southern.
Date digital	2014-02-05
Publisher	Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Contributor	n/a
Type	Collections ; text ; JPG images ;
Format	Original and copies of documents and correspondence in file folders in filing cabinet
Source	Series 10: Built Environment (Physical Plant)
Language	English
Relation	Is related to: Pine Mountain Settlement School Collections, Series 10: Built Environment (Physical Plant) ; Series 09: Personnel – Mary Rockwell Hook ; Kentucky Virtual Library collections <http://www.kyvl.org/> [searchable] Berea College Southern Appalachian Archives <http://www.berea.edu/library/Special/saarchives.html> Transylvania College Archives <http://www.transy.edu/libspcoll.html> Univ. of KY Appalachian Archives <http://libraries.uky.edu/libpage.php?lweb_id=84&llib_id=13> National Historic Landmarks Database <http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1756&ResourceType=District>
Coverage Temporal	1919 – 1980s
Coverage Spatial	Pine Mountain, KY ; Harlan County, KY ;
Rights	Any display, publication, or public use must credit the Pine Mountain Settlement School. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Donor	n/a
Description	Core documents, correspondence, writings, and administrative papers about Open House ; clippings, photographs, books about Open House ;
Acquisition	Constructed 1919
Citation	Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers, Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, KY
Processed By	Helen Hayes Wykle ; Ann Angel Eberhardt ;
Last Updated	2014-02-05 hw ; 2014-05-20 aae ; 2018-11-22 aae ;
Bibliography	Sources L’Heureux, Mary Alice. “Well Connected.” Urban Planning & Architecture. 8 (May 2006): 78-83. Print. This illustrated article includes extensive information on Mary Rockwell Hook, particularly her work at Pine Mountain Settlement School, KY. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. PMSS Archives, Pine Mountain, KY. Archival material. THE PINE CONE, Vol. 5, No., 3, November 1938, pages 3-4. Pine Mountain Settlement School Institutional Papers. PMSS Archives, Pine Mountain, KY. Internet resource.

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