HISTORY

Welcome to Rowan County's historic courthouse... now used as the Rowan County Arts Center.

Built between 1896-1899, this is the only structure from the 19th century remaining on Main Street in Morehead, Kentucky. When Rowan County was created in 1856, the first county courthouse was located on this site, but this building is not the original courthouse. Three others preceded it, two of which were destroyed by fires in 1864 and 1880. For just over 80 years, this site was the political, judicial, and social center of life in Rowan County.

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In mid-2003, at the request of Rowan County Judge Executive Clyde A. Thomas, a group of citizens representing several community organizations, including the Morehead Art Guild, The Cave Run Arts Association, the Morehead Theatre Guild, and the Rowan County Historical Society, met with architect Chenault Woodford to discuss the feasibility of approaching the Lucille Caudill Little Foundation for a $1 million grant to be matched by local funds which would be used to create the Rowan County Arts Center to be housed in the old Rowan County Courthouse.

The need for such a facility was already well established. Although there were several organizations in Rowan County committed to the development and promotion of creativity and fine arts education for all age levels, there was no single, centrally located facility in the Morehead/Rowan County area where a  comprehensive program of arts education, appreciation, and performance for local citizens had first priority. The lack of such a facility seriously limited the amount of arts programming that could be provided.

The principal goal of this project was set out as follows: to make available a dedicated facility within Rowan County where all its citizens, young and old, could have active experiences with the full spectrum of creative and performing arts, including but not limited to painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, music, dance, drama, and film.

To accomplish this goal, the old Rowan County Courthouse, which dates from 1899 and is arguably the most historically significant structure in Rowan County, would undergo an aesthetically pleasing exterior restoration, which would return the grand bell tower to the southwest corner on the front of the building and a major interior renovation, which would convert the previously  abandoned array of old county offices into a working arts showplace, with a variety of well-appointed gallery, studio, and performance spaces that would unquestionably raise the arts awareness level for the people of Rowan County and the surrounding area. The Rowan County Fiscal Court made a commitment to match any grant made by the Lucille Little Foundation.