Dessie Scott Children's Home, a historic building in Pine Ridege located in Wolfe County, was destroyed by fire Thursday night, January 22, after flames engulfed the building.
Fire officials confirmed the structure is a total loss.
The Dessie Scott facility is overseen by Buckhorn Therapeutic Care.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Wolfe County Fire Department, which was assisted by the Beattyville Volunteer Fire Department and the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department.
Wolfe County Board of Education posted the following on their social media about the history of the school in Pine Ridge:
The Alvan Drew School was a Methodist-sponsored mission school founded to provide education and vocational training to children in the remote mountain communities of eastern Kentucky.
In the early 1900s, much of Wolfe County was extremely rural and isolated. Access to formal education was limited, especially in mountainous areas. The school was founded as part of a missionary movement focused on Appalachian education and development.
It was established by Mrs. M. O. Everett, a missionary from Washington, D.C., who came to eastern Kentucky to improve education and living conditions for mountain families.
The school was named Alvan Drew School in honor of Alvin (or Alvan) Drew, a supporter of rural education.
• Began as a one-room schoolhouse in 1913
• Quickly expanded due to strong local demand
• Eventually served up to 240 students
• Students came from throughout Wolfe and surrounding counties
What made Alvan Drew especially unique was its hands-on, vocational approach, teaching practical life and trade skills alongside academics.
The campus included:
• Student-operated farm
• Blacksmith shop
• Print shop
• Grist mill
• Planing mill (lumber processing)
Students helped operate many of these facilities, learning trades that were critical for survival and economic independence in Appalachian life.
This made the school a center of education, job training, and community development.
• Mrs. Everett ran the school until 1919
• Then Rev. & Mrs. Thomas Reeves Woodford took over
• Under their leadership:
• Enrollment grew significantly
• The school expanded facilities
• Academic and vocational programs strengthened
In 1947, a fire destroyed much of the school, forcing it to close permanently.
The site later became home to:
Dessie Scott Children’s Home, which relocated there in 1950
Today, the site is commemorated with a Kentucky Historical Marker (Marker #1712) in Wolfe County recognizing:
• Its educational impact
• Its missionary roots
• Its importance in developing Appalachian education
For Wolfe County, Alvan Drew School represents:
• One of the earliest large-scale education efforts in remote areas
• A bridge between basic schooling and practical workforce training
• A foundation that helped shape modern public education development in the county
Many older Wolfe County families still trace parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents back to this school.
No injures were reported from the fire.
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