The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Founder's Shack

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Institution Name: Alice Lloyd College
Original/Historic Place Name: Founder's Shack
Location on Campus: 100 Purpose Rd.
Date(s) of Construction:

1917	original construction Johnson, Abisha

Designer: Abisha Johnson
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Regionalist/Vernacular, Other (Glossary)
Significance: culture, education, history
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: rough-sawn lumber from campus sawmill

Walls: rough-sawn lumber from campus sawmill

Roof: cedar shingles

Function:

ca. 1917	private residence (home of Alice Lloyd, founder of Alice Lloyd College)
ca. 2004-present (2006)	museum (informal display area)

Narrative:
One structure on campus more than any other echoes the very core of Alice Lloyd College's existence. This building is Founder's Shack. Originally built for Mrs. Lloyd by Abisha Johnson and other community men, the Founders Shack is the oldest building on campus. The Founder's Shack is a wood-plank, two room structure with a lean-to roof. It is built on a small piece of bottom land on a steep hillside.

Since the early 1900s Founder's Shack has quietly graced our campus, and continues to be a strong reminder of the past and how far we have progressed as an institution.

The structure is in fair condition. The building was originally equipped only with a coal-burning fireplace, but a heating/cooling unit had been added to preserve many of the historical artifacts located inside.

References:

Davis, Jerry C. Miracle at Caney Creek. Lexington, KY: Thoroughbred Press, 1952.

Ison, Florence Castle. Caney Girl. New York, NY: Vantage Press, 1994.

Searles, David P. A College for Appalachia: Alice Lloyd on Caney Creek. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 1995.