Exploring Appalachia: Clay County, Kentucky

E X P L O R I N G

A P PA L AC H I A C L AY

C O U N T Y,

K E N T U C K Y

T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E N N E S S E E COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

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C O N J U N C T I O N W I T H C O L L E G E O F N U R S I N G

Photo: Entering Clay County from London Haley Allen 01

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

INTRODUCTION

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

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I N F R A S T R U C T U R E

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SOCIAL

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HOUSING

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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CO N TR I B U TORS

PER SONAL

STAT E M E N TS

Haley Allen

Marion Forbes My interest in Appalachia and this collaborative effort, stems from a strong familial background that ties me to the region. East Tennessee has always been my family home even though I have not lived there my entire life. In previous semesters, I have studied the Appalachian region through various research opportunities and studio design projects and when the opportunity arose to help with this project, I was more than happy to join the team.

The work done this semester through design and the entire interdisciplinary research team has proven to be a uniquely rewarding experience. I hope that this book provides just as unique of an outlook of Clay County and proves to be just as useful as it was to us.

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Having studied Appalachia in previous semesters, and grown up in a small town myself, I jumped at the chance to help establish the early foundations for this project. Collaboration with Law Enforcement, and the Colleges of Nursing and Engineering provides a fascinating next step for the architectural research experience I already have with the area. I feel that the purpose of architectural research is ultimately not only academic, but concrete in what we provide for the community of Clay County. Projects like these are invaluable professionally as well as personally.

The town I grew up in is really not so different from Manchester and the people there, though seven hours from my home, are not really so different either.

The College of Architecture teaches us to understand the connections between health, happiness, and the spaces we live in. Giving this knowledge back to a community with as much potential as Clay County is a rewarding and satisfying endeavor. My experience this semester has been as valuable as I ever expected it to be and I hope that the future of this project, of Appalachia, small towns, and the people who live in them is as warm and successful as any healthy community deserves to be.

Phillip Geiman

Collin Cope Initially, I went into this collaboration with, unacknowledged at the time, selfish agendas and to be honest, a misplaced sense of purpose. However, as we progressed, I gained new perceptions into a place I did not fully understand. I feel as though I have changed my own nature towards what we are trying to do. The people and the place that we are studying are real, and what we are trying to do there is real – given my knowledge of what exists there now has granted me a strong sense of purpose and a moral obligation as a human being, and an admirer of the built environment – to step up and do something to help this incredible place and the people who live there. I have loved every second of the collaboration and am honored to be a part of it.

I feel quite fortunate for the opportunity to work with this project. The broad scope and the more community intention is not one often seen in a design profession but has been one I have been most interested in. What other chance can you have to work on a project with talented professionals and passionate students on a project that nearly everyone involve is so enthusiastic? And the level of engagement with the community is really something to be appreciated, because that really is the way to best effect any bettering change for a people.

To approach fully, honestly and respectfully to the integrity of Appalachian livelihood is something I wish more initiatives (even those with the best of intentions) were able to do. Such a novel project in such a unusual context really challenges ones paradigms and leaves more enlightened to the realities and the opportunities I hope my own involvement has been beneficial; it is still quite early in the process and much more work is to be done. Others will take the work from here and hopefully we have provided them a comprehensive yet nuanced understanding for further action. I myself am continuing in a slightly different direction am working off of both the direct research and my own personal revaluations, and hope that other students may have the same result.

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Photo: Backroads, Clay County Haley Allen 03

AN INTRODUCTION

“End goals of the project, “Appalachian Community Health and Disaster Readiness: Inter-professional Practice,” are: 1) to strengthen community wellness, 2) through a novel process of community engagement and knowledge-sharing enhance safety, security, emergency preparedness and readiness, and 3) establish a model of inter-professional practice that can assist rural communities to prepare for disasters or other large scale public health emergencies.”

This excerpt from the grant application for Appalachian Community Health explains in formal terms the goals of this project. Behind each of these numbered items are childhood memories, a love of small towns, deep connections to Appalachian culture, and a passion for sharing knowledge. Collaboration with Nursing, Engineering, and Law Enforcement expand assumptions and perspectives to achieve greater understanding and respect for the needs of Clay County. Together, this team challenges the presuppositions pop culture holds for the Appalachian people and rural communities. There is a mythology in these parts that both strengthens and impedes the people who embody it. Our job is to separate the strengths and impediments and communicate with the residents of this area to enhance their emergency readiness and ultimately their overall health.

Without respect and reference to physical and emotional culture, this will fail. This is our novel engagement. Appalachian Community Health does not wish to research and run; the purpose of this effort is to establish long-term interaction for the benefit of everyone involved. Those of us on this team think of this project in terms of relationships rather than business partnerships. The intimacy and personal interest with which we approach these tasks defines our passion for the Appalachian Community Health and Disaster Readiness project.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAM

This diagram describes the process we followed this semester after researching major health concerns in the area. As the project’s greater goal is to enhance wellbeing and disaster readiness, we started at physical health and worked our way to architecture.

A clear path develops from our collaboration with Nursing and Engineering and leads to the three major topics we address in this book.

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Tooth Decay Gum Disease Poor Hygiene Diarrhea Untreated Illness

COMMUNITY-SOCIAL

Proper Nutrition Schizophrenia Dimensia Anxiety Disorders Depression Neglect

HOME-SURFACES

Colds Pneumonia Asthma Lung Disease Allergies Diabetes

HOME-STRUCTURAL

Broken Bones Wounds Concussions Infection Obesity

Leaky Ceilings Bad Insulation Mold No Electricity No Heat and Air Poor Ventilation

COMMUNITY-UTILITY

Unclean Water Inaccessible Roads Sewage Failures Collapsed Floor Colapsed Ceiling Collapsed Foundation Bad Driveways Inaccessible Slopes

SOC I AL

H OUS ING:

Isolation Lonliness Lack of Proper Care

INF RAST R UCT URE

SOCIAL:

ACCE SS IBIL IT Y E DU CAT IO N CO NST RU C T ION

RE SOU RCES

I NFRAST R U CT U R E : LAND FA M ILY GOD

KNOWL E DGE

DIST R IBU T IO N ACCE SS INDE P E NDE NCE

These categories represent the major divisions of the Fall 2013 individual and group College of Architecture research for the Appalachian Health and Wellness Project.

SCAL E

TI ME

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INFRASTRUCTURE NARRATIVE Phillip Gelman The most defining aspect of Appalachian context is the land, the physical land, as an entity that shapes peoples lives and how they interact with each other.

The ancient mountains, primordial forests, and pure streams drive a deeply entrenched rugged history characterized by rural independent livelihood. There are no large cities, massive infrastructure, dense population, or rampant commercial activity that so mark modern urban living. This is modern rural living, that may be quite from the more romantic Arcadian misconceptions affected by the challenges of aging, diminishing population, post industrial economy, and rural poverty. Any possible future initiatives need to understand and react to that landscape.

This first section attempts to give an a 10,000 ft perspective over the entirety of clay county, whats there, where people live and why. Focus on land, infrastructure, population, resources, and at the end, some conclusions that may drive potential projects.

Even from this perspective can be gleamed strengths, issues, and potential solutions for action.

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INFRASTRUCTURE:

INFRASTRUCTURE

SOCIAL

KNOWLEDGE

RESOURCES

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REGIONAL MAP E AST E R N K E N T U C KY

Clay County is located in Central Appalachia, in the coal mining regions. To the right is the current boundary of the Appalachian Region according to the 1967 Appalachian Regional Commission decisions. An enlarged map of the Kentucky road system shows I-75 running North-South just to the left of Clay County, through nearby London, Kentucky. Though the interstate runs about 40 minutes west of Manchester, this major thoroughfare brings little industry or life to Clay County. London itself is merely another stopping point on the way to larger Lexington (2 hours driving time). Clay County’s very distant relationship from urban centers means that transportation to and from these large cities is cumbersome, expensive, and time consuming. Self reliance is very necessary to be able to live in this context, an ability that is today threatened by isolation and poverty. How can design reinforce the value of independence?

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COUNTY MAP C L AY C O U N T Y, K Y

Clay County is one of the most impoverished areas in the Appalachian region. City Data reports that around 40% of the population lives under the poverty line with 15% below half the poverty line. While poverty is a principle issue, also worth noting is a large percentage of housing units being trailers with many noted in poor conditions.

The population of 21,000 in an area of 470 square miles notes a mostly rural population (80%) and a notable population drop. Also notable is the lower rates of education, all of which are representative of the small town issues that have been noted prior.

Poverty, rural isolation, and limited education become the biggest issues that drive any initiatives.

Info At a Glance County population in July 2011: 21,720 (21% urban, 79% rural);

it was 24,556 in 2000 Land area: 471 sq. mi.

Mar. 2012 cost of living index in Clay County: 82.3 (low, U.S. average is 100) Current college students: 518 People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 49.4% People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 8.0% #17 of “Top 101 counties with the most Evangelical Denominations adherents” Residents with income below the poverty level in 2009:

Clay County: Kentucky: 15.8%

39.7%

Residents with income below 50% of the poverty level in 2009:

Clay County: Kentucky: 6.6%

14.9%

number of grocery stores: 4

Clay County: 1.68 / 10,000 pop.

Kentucky: 2.19 / 10,000 pop.

Number of full-service restaurants: 3

Clay County: 1.26 / 10,000 pop.

Kentucky: 5.74 / 10,000 pop.

Households: 19,490 Housing units in structures:

One, detached: 5,824

One, attached: 34

Two: 141

3 or 4: 202

5 to 9: 145

10 to 19: 48

20 or more: 107

Mobile homes: 2,932

Boats, RVs, vans, etc.:

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INDUSTRIAL HISTORY O F C L AY C O U N T Y R E G I O N

Mineral Industry has historically been the largest industrial driver in Clay County. Earliest settlers made a majority of livelihoods through fur trapping and timber before being replaced by the early Salt Works in the 1800’s. This industry created the small towns such as Manchester and Goose Rocks before being interrupted and then ultimately destroyed by the Civil War. Extensive coal mining in Clay County, also involving nearby Leslie and Hazard, soon became the main economic engine for the area. Major infrastructure such as rail roads, power lines, and highways were built to serve this activity.

However, coal mining itself is incredibly dangerous work and environmentally destructive such as with mountaintop removal and water pollution. This shifts the economy away from subsistence agriculture to industrial wage meaning that fundamentally, people are not working off of the land to make food and materials for themselves but are making money at a job to then buy those necessities. In recent times, the coal mines have shut down almost entirely and,

though a potential future in hydrofracking is talked about, the future is wildly uncertain as to how people are going to make a life for themselves. Residents now mostly lack most of the skills that would make them competitive in a modern economy and/or lack the substantial initial capital for investment all the while still deeply affected by the ecological damage and economic hole left by coal mining. Poverty, welfare, and drugs then come to fill the void.

However, extensive land ownership, emphasis on self reliance, and a culturally tight, though physically distant people do provide great strengths that can be built off of as we try to help these people make a better life for themselves. How can one use the strengths to intelligently address the realities of rural poverty?

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TOPOGRAPHY

O F C L AY C O U N T Y R E G I O N Extreme changes in topography dictates much of the existing infrastructure and development. Earliest history of Clay County characterize its old Indian trails becoming pioneer trains which navigate the landscape near the extensive river system. This is still embodied today as much of the existing infrastructure (roads, rail,, power lines) still group together around the river/creek system,. This tends to be problematic as movement around the county roads can be treacherous especially when compromised during floods, storms or other natural disasters.

Also, noting the large area of Clay County, the limited highway systems elongate already extensive travel distances. For example to travel from Red Bird mission in the southern of the county to Manchester in the center is a 40 minutes, with similar times to the other unincorporated towns..

The topography of Clay County, KY is a dramatic landscape of ridges and valleys. Both beautiful and dangerous at once, these mountains are the backdrop to the challenges and values of the people who live in them. These isolated peaks rear strength, hardship, and even disengagement with the outside world. The topography within Clay is noticeably more extreme than the counties surrounding it and likely the reason that Interstate 75 bypassed Manchester. These mountains are the bed of the Appalachian culture we hear of in old stories and popculture. They are not our enemy in this project, but like the people born, living, and gone here, they are both the antagonist and the hero of so many stories.

Photo: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Haley Allen

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R OA D Q UA L I T Y

O F CO U N T Y R OA DS The wildly extreme topography dictates the wildly extreme road network that crosses Clay County.

Infrastructure utilizes whatever flat ground it can find or digs it out of the mountain with great effort.

There is no large flat interstate coming through this area, with transportation consisting entirely of winding and dangerous country roads that are the lifelines between a majorly rural population. Places are far removed from one another and distributing any goods over a large area exponentially difficult because of the decentralized population. Many roads are in good condition but others can be unmaintained, unpainted, and unpaved, and any of which can be rendered impassable with severe weather, effectively stranding people in their most vulnerable times. With many hollows with only one way in and even the only hospital at risk of flooding, these country roads are the tenuous thread that keep life together in Clay County.

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P O P U L AT I O N

O F C L AY C O U N T Y Clay County is mainly rural, 80% of the 21,000 that live here. There is no suburban sprawl here but there are hollows, a quasi-communal family community of multiple houses and structures built close to each other. This comes from extensive land ownership that is divided up passed down generations as families age and grow. This breeds very tight-knit and at times reclusive communities that live far off major roads. Some can be well off and others can be poor but this close living arrangement reinforces close familial connections.

There are towns in Clay county, small ones that cluster in only a few locations. Manchester, the largest, is the only incorporated town located in the center of the county and is the county seat. Other unincorporated communities include Goose Rock to the north and Oneida to the northeast. The north of Clay County is generally more populous and is closest to other small

towns that lie across the county boarder line into Laurel and Jackson County. The largest “city� in the region being London to the east. Southern Clay County is further remote and less populous and not coincidentally is also the most vulnerable area with more instances of poverty and isolation.

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R E S O U R C E P R OX I M I T Y

O F C L AY C O U N T Y R E G I O N As seen in the population dispersion maps on the previous page, the people of Clay County live in clusters based on the topography of the area. These clusters usually land in “hollows� or valleys between the high mountain ridges. These ridges are what cause the isolation of these neighborhoods and the condensing of resources in Manchester. For most of the hollows, it is 45 minutes to an hour driving to reach Manchester. This works in reverse as well, leaving law enforcement at a loss when emergencies arise in these distant neighborhoods. Fire departments are scattered across the county, but the Sheriff’s office is centered in Manchester. Social resources like Churches and cemeteries are distributed evenly throughout neighborhoods, but food and shopping centers are less easy to come by.

One popular stereotype of Appalachia is the gun-wielding hillbilly viscously defending his land and family. This idea perpetuates in the story of the Hatfields and McCoys who fought along the West-Virginia-Kentucky border for three decades. What is important to remember is that defense of land, family, and honor are key to understanding the culture of the region even today. In a time when self-sufficiency comes from box stores and not the land itself, the people maintain an independent streak reminiscent of this age-old tradition. It manifests in the strength and endurance.

Photo: Hatfields and McCoys, Wikipedia

Fire Departments Clay County Seat Sheriff’s Office Cemeteries Health Centers/Hospitals Churches

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R E D B I R D O U T R E AC H

Red Bird outreach is not just our main cooperative for the Appalachia project, but probably the best community connection to the most vulnerable region of Clay County. Red bird mission, serving the southern of Clay County and nearby Knox and Bell, is the only point of connection where people can receive assistance, health, or emergency services.

Quote from their website: Red Bird Mission and Clinic have been providing ministries in this region of the Appalachian Mountains since 1921. Today the need remains critical in this isolated, rural distressed area. Chronic poverty, lack of jobs, poor housing, and rugged mountainous terrain provide obstacles to a fuller life for the residents of this area. Red Bird Mission strives to meet these needs through ministry in five areas: Education, Health and Wellness, Community Outreach, Economic Opportunity, and Community Housing Improvement.

Support for these ministries come from churches and individuals across the nation. However, in recent years we have seen a decline in the support we are receiving. We are currently facing a financial crisis that is making it difficult to continue all the areas of ministries we provide. Without more funding today, we will have to reduce the level of ministry provided to this community.

Your donations to Red Bird Mission and Clinic will help us continue these vital ministries in this distressed region of Appalachia.

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R E S O U R C E S T R AT E G Y

N O D E M A P S F O R C L AY C O U N T Y While cities are defined by their compactness and density, rural areas are defined by their expansiveness and remoteness. These are not characteristics that to be eliminated but are the essence of the context and why often people choose to live here. The relationship then between different places and different people acts over much longer distances with different characteristics, which can be explored.

This interpretation of this relationship is of a Node Map: a series of places of different scales with different elements at those places that react with each other at 3 different ways shown here: Extension, Access, and Self Sufficiency.

While this interpretation doesn’t mean to absolute, it can be a way to understand these long distance relationships and better think of how any potential interventions will interact beyond a singular site into the larger context.

Extension is a hierarchical network in which resources distribute from a large central location to secondary nodes then into the individual hollows. These resources can be things like Health and Medical supplies, Food, Emergency Supplies, and other materials that have to be made in a central location then shipped out. Design strategies that use this relationship develop regional nodes of satellite offices that act as hub points to connect to the communities

Access is the non-hierarchical network that focuses on how individual places interact with each other. Places are not better or worse off for being bigger or smaller so this acts as a degree of decentralization for the overall network. This focuses on the immaterial resources instead that are nonetheless important and at times lacking such as transportation, communication, education, and the human network. Design strategies require not so much centralized locations but methods of access.

Self Sufficiency is the implicit independence of places. People and spaces are removed from each other deliberately for that deliberate separation, to be by themselves and with nature. Absolute independence may not be necessary or reasonable, but to be self reliant is a unique characteristic of rural places that needs to be considered as part of a regional strategy. Design with this thinks of how places can exist independent of larger networks and what is needed to fully achieve that such as ability to address minor health/housing issues, utilities, and disaster prevention at an individual level without needing the collective.

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HOLLOW SECTION P H YS I C A L Q UA L I T I E S

Photo: Museum of Appalachia

SOCIAL NARRATIVE Collin Cope Initially, I went into this collaboration with, unacknowledged at the time, selfish agendas and to be honest, a misplaced sense of purpose. However, as we progressed, I gained new perceptions into a place I did not fully understand. I feel as though I have changed my own nature towards what we are trying to do. The people and the place that we are studying are real, and what we are trying to do there is real – given my knowledge of what exists there now has granted me a strong sense of purpose and a moral obligation as a human being, and an admirer of the built environment – to step up and do something to help this incredible place and the people who live there. I have loved every second of the collaboration and am honored to be a part of it.

SOCIAL:

INFRASTRUCTURE

SOCIAL

KNOWLEDGE

RESOURCES

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LAND “Architectural order attracts us, too, as a defense against feelings of overcomplication. We welcome man-made environments which grant us an impression of regularity and predictability, on which we can rely to rest our minds. We don’t, in the end, much like perpetual surprises.”

- The Architecture of Happiness

We go to great lengths to experience a view. We delight in reaching hilltops, framing scenes, taking in panoramic expanses, and the opportunity and pleasure of being able to see “the big picture.” We follow paths of water and roads across such expanses and various landscapes, rather than have them come before us.

A similar joy can be found in what we build, for example, at a second story window in a house looking over the family hollow, or in a hallway leading out onto the back porch framing the mountains in the distance. In these simple moments of ease and perspective, we a granted a sense of comfort at our ability to know our environment.

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NATURE OF THE PLACE The soul of Appalachia, from the eyes of an outsider such as mine, lies in a state of constant, yet patient, ease of mind - not in the traditional sense of the word, but in the kind of ease where it’s people feel that it will all be okay and that in the end, it is out of their control. This kind of culture strikes a chord with me, and I believe one that resonates with all Christians. I cannot help but acknowledge the power of the phrase, “everything happens for a reason,” when I look back at the places we saw in Clay County. This to me seems to be the nature of how Appalachians view the problems they face on a day-to-day basis.

Photo: Museum of Appalachia

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FA M I LY Perceptions about Appalachian families have been largely shaped by popular media, however, the movies and television shows have not portrayed Appalachian families in a very positive image. Instead, they have focused on “hillbillies and moonshiners� living in run-down shacks.

What is true about Appalachian families is that they are united by high poverty rates and a strong sense of community. Many families have left the region in search of new economic opportunities outside of the region. Those who stay have few opportunities to break the cycle of poverty. Despite these day-to-day overwhelming hardships, families in Appalachia have been remarkably resilient and proud. The proportions of married couple families in Appalachia exceed the national average and the rates of actual home ownership in counties are among the highest in the nation. In such homes, Land, Family, and God continue to drive the interactions among family members and the surrounding hollows.

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NATURE OF THE PEOPLE When I first thought of Appalachia I saw a poor, uneducated people with hot tempers, strange speech, and an atmosphere of stubbornness that refused to allow itself to come into the present. Now that these stereotypes have been washed away by an overwhelming sense of warmth and hospitality, I see a people who are as resilient as they are clever, that hold a kind of pride and wit that I never imagined I would see in the same people that lived in such conditions as those that we have studied.

Photo: Shelby Lee Adams

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NATURE OF THE CONDITIONS Some of the most encouraging, yet often unmentioned, aspects of our health and wellness are the places in which we live and the quality of our environment: the way our home feels after a long day, the kinds of materials that surround us, the views from our back porch, and the nature of the world around us. These things have an unbelievable ability to dictate and influence who we are and how we look at the future. Here, lies the root of the problems, homes are falling down, the job market is as desolate as the coal mines recently shut down, and the built environment we take for granted almost lies in a state of utter disrepair. The oddity that emerges from this is that these kinds of situations have actually created the kind of strengths we can build upon going forward, and that the nature of Appalachia today is actually not a weakness, but an opportunity that will help us to overcome, heal and strengthen an area of our country that needs our help. The idea that what we build can work to heal a people, is a quiet reminder that it is architecture’s obligation and task to help this wonderful culture reach its full potential.

Photo: Shelby Lee Adams

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Where we live influences who we are.

How we live influences who we are becoming.

When we live influences how we build.

How we build influences our relationships.

Our relationships influence our outlook.

Our outlook influences our happiness.

Our happiness influences our wellness.

How can we build to influence wellness?

Where do we build to influence wellness?

What kind of architecture can influence wellness?

There is an “indelible connection between our identities and our locations.�

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- The Architecture of Happiness

Photo: Marion Forbes

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What role do animals play in the family structure of Appalachian homes? “Indeed it has been has been suggested that animals offer a means for the estranged human to reconnect with the natural universe, some theorists believe this to be the essential component of any therapeutic effort.�

- Bernie Graham, Creature Comfort

There is an impact and benefit to animals in our lives. In society, if we look through a social lens, we see that animals play fascinating roles in our communities and day to day interactions. They have evolved into a layer of our social fabric, a fabric in Appalachia, that yearns for healing of all kinds.

Companion animals in our living environment may enable us to be away from the complexities of many human activities and relationships that cause stress and replace them with restorative effects.

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Photo: Shelby Lee Adams

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GOD “Architectural order attracts us, too, as a defense against feelings of overcomplication. We welcome man-made environments which grant us an impression of regularity and predictability, on which we can rely to rest our minds. We don’t, in the end, much like perpetual surprises.”

- The Architecture of Happiness

We go to great lengths to experience a view. We delight in reaching hilltops, framing scenes, taking in panoramic expanses, and the opportunity and pleasure of being able to see “the big picture.” We follow paths of water and roads across such expanses and various landscapes, rather than have them come before us.

A similar joy can be found in what we build, for example, at a second story window in a house looking over the family hollow, or in a hallway leading out onto the back porch framing the mountains in the distance. In these simple moments of ease and perspective, we a granted a sense of comfort at our ability to know our environment.

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RELIGION In the church there is a strong sense of ease and comfort in the religious entities that dominate the region. Many of the principle teachings revolve around the idea that there is a reason for everything and in the end it will all work out. There is also a strong sense of spiritual independence that exists in individuals and the attitudes of many of the churches Baptism by immersing ones self into a body of water, typically a river or stream in the region. This was a common practice throughout Appalachian history and is still prevalent today in many areas.

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Photo: Shelby Lee Adams

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DECORATION A distrust of religious hierarchies and governing entities from outside the region pervades There is a high value placed on the personal experiences of redemption and is constantly being celebrated through worship. Living Water Baptisms are still common throughout the region

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Photo: Shelby Lee Adams

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CONCLUSION We go to great lengths to experience a view. We delight in reaching hilltops, framing scenes, taking in panoramic expanses, and the opportunity and pleasure of being able to see “the big picture.” We follow paths of water and roads across such expanses and various landscapes, rather than have them come before us.

OUR RELATIONSHIPS TO:

LA N D

FA MILY

INFLUENCE OUR WELLNESS 51

GO D

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Photo: Museum of Appalachia

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HOLLOW SECTION SOCIAL QUALITIES

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HOUSING NARRATIVE Haley Allen, Marion Forbes Architecture’s most intimate relationship with health is found in the home. This is where cleanliness, stability, and design come together to improve or maintain a quality of living. While speaking with Redbird workers, we found that housing was a major challenge in enhancing the health of Clay County. Many homes are in sad states of repair, with little income available to fix them. While studying data collected from Redbird’s housing repair applications, issues repeated themselves.

“No heat, no electricity, leaking roof, floors caving in, holes in walls or floors, needs doors, needs bathtub, needs new windows…”

These problems are revealing and came to organize our housing research for the Fall 2013 semester. The ultimate goal of this portion of the research was to identify: 1) Housing issues and how they affect health, 2) How issues relate to the community overall, and 3) What problems will provide the gateway to further investigation and potential construction project. The Housing research portion is a look into the smaller scale problems in Clay County. These are the everyday individual problems that could be solved quickly through education and repair and maintained by greater community changes.

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HOUSING:

INFRASTRUCTURE

SOCIAL

KNOWLEDGE

RESOURCES

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ACC E S S I B I L I T Y Accessibility encompasses many problems. There are the obvious issues of how easy or difficult it is for the elderly or handicapped to reach their homes. This is a major concern, but it is not the only definition of accessibility. Also under this umbrella are concerns for communication and social accessibility. These affect emergency preparedness and overall social wellbeing. Communications accessibility might be as simple as an internet connection or as large as repaving and maintaining mountain ridge road systems or creating nodes of food, water, and emergency resources. In this section we will address the issues we’ve encountered in our research that will be most pertinent to a further exploration of living conditions in Clay County.

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Can residents easily reach their homes on a daily basis?

HANDICAP AND ELDERLY ACCESSIBILITY DOMESTIC RAMPS STEEP PROPERTIES DRIVEWAY ACCESS

INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES ROADWAY QUALITY INCLEMENT WEATHER TRAVEL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Photo: Backroad, Clay County Haley Allen 61

Steep dirt driveways endanger residents, especially the handicap and elderly. In an area of dramatic sectional change, these hazardous conditions are uncomfortably common.

During ice storms and heavy rains many driveways flood or wash away leaving residents stranded or unable to go home.

Similarly, it is important for emergency vehicles to maintain road access to homes during times of extreme weather or natural disasters.

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HANDICAP AND ELDERLY ACCESSIBILITY One of the first concerns of accessibility is how people move in and out of their homes. Due to the widespread health problems in the area and frequent failure to seek medical help, it is easy to assume that many are need of handicap ramps or general accessibility measures.

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Domestic ramps are easily built, but not always easy to come by. Many residents in Clay County have reason for handicap ramps and entrances to their homes. At UTK CoAD, our AIA Freedom by Design team takes on ramp and stair projects in the local community nearly every academic year. These projects are free of cost for the recipients and achieved through community donations. Building handicap and elderly domestic access is a relatively fast and simple solution to basic immobility. Something similar to FBD’s handicap initiative would be a great solution to a simple, but widespread problem in the area.

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Photo: Courtesy of UTK Chapter of AIAS Freedom by Design July 30, 2013

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Another difficulty for accessibility beyond the handicap and elderly is that of driveway access.

Red Bird Mission workers reported having a hard time parking at certain sites due to poor driveways or none at all. Often, parking is on the road and the homes are down the hollow. This is a danger for visitors as well as residents of these afflicted homes.

Much like the community donations raised by the AIAS Freedom by Design at UT, a similar system could be created to maintain or construct reliable driveways for Clay County residents.

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INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES Another major point of accessibility is the road system that reaches the houses. As you can see in the print by Ben Fry to the right, the density of roads and streets drops off significantly in the Appalachian region. Due to extreme slopes, drainage, runoff, and dangerous conditions Clay County is no exception to this. The roads to most of the neighborhoods are alarming at best and simply hazardous in inclement weather.

Bad weather like long rains, snow, high winds, and ice make the county road system a quick death trap to travelers. Increased weather preparation is key to enhancing accessibility for the county residents.

Identifying areas where road improvements are needed as well as potential locations for resource nodes would increase emergency preparedness for all residents.

Photo: All Streets Ben Fry, 2008 65

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Can residents easily communicate from their homes?

LANDLINES ARE TOO EXPENSIVE LOW ECONOMIC RESOURCES DIFFICULT TO LAY NEW CHEAP LINES

NON-EXISTENT WIRELESS TOWERS LACK OF SIGNAL TOWERS - NO CELLPHONES COMPANIES CLAIM NOT ENOUGH POTENTIAL BUSINESS INEFFICIENT COST OF RUNNING A TOWER

Photo: Power Lines in Appalachia Haley Allen 67

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LANDLINES ARE TOO EXPENSIVE One recurring issue that arose in the housing data acquired from Redbird was that homes did not maintain telephone service. For many this might be a luxury that they simply can not afford to keep. Other services like heat or electricity win out over phone access. This cuts significantly into the ability of residents to communicate socially or in emergency situations.

If landlines are too expensive to be maintained for more than three months by most residents, either the price of the line or the gross economy of the people must change.

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Lack of job availability in the area contributes to the unavailability of income. Perhaps if a stable industry existed in the town, the problem of affording telephone service would be negligible.

Since the shut down of most of the coal mines, little economic activity has existed in the county. This is a major factor to consider in the understanding of resident’s financial capabilities.

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The laying of new, cheaper lines would also increase the likelihood of residents keeping phone or internet service. New Fiber Optic cables would bring the world to Clay County and improve not only communication within the neighborhoods and with emergency services, but might increase the intake of culture and knowledge. Practically, Fiber Optics are cheaper and smaller than the traditional copper lines. They are safer and more modern and would provide low-cost, efficient Internet, cable, and telephone service. This method also has its downfalls because of the upfront expense. However, it is more easily achieved than the providing of new jobs.

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A third option would be to provide residents with discounted or free cell phone plans based on income level. This is common in many rural areas, but would currently fail in Clay County due to the lack of any wireless reception.

NON-EXISTENT WIRELESS TOWERS Currently in Clay County, wireless access is essentially unavailable. Red Bird Mission described attempts to contact service providers ending in claims that there is too small a potential customer base in the area. Workers at Red Bird believe, based on the consistency of users seeking access to their dial-up Internet, that wireless companies would have much more interest than they realize.

To bring wireless service to the county and region would be a great benefit and incredibly valuable in improving the communication quality of the people.

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E D U C AT I O N The Education portion of our research tried to identify physical issues within residences that could be addressed through educational information. By teaching people to notice problems and providing resources to solve them, we might inspire a self-initiated improvement effort in Clay County homes.

Problems like mold, bad windows, and improper insulation can usually be avoided or repaired. Certain structural problems might require professional help, but with the knowledge and resources to catch them, they can be simply addressed.

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How do we teach people about the dangers found inside of their homes?

DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION FLYERS AT HOME AND SCHOOL COMMUNITY EVENT WORD OF MOUTH

OUTREACH AND REPAIRS MATERIAL RESOURCES FUNDING FOR MAINTENANCE VOLUNTEER DAYS

Photo: Clay County House with Mold Damage Redbird Housing Photos 73

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DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION The first interest in this category is to increase awareness about the illnesses and health problems listed in the diagram to the right. This is the diagram from the start of the book that shows the process of the project from health concerns, to architecture, to research. The general health concerns listed remain the focus of the project and helping to increase knowledge about the physical origins of them should lead to an overall awareness of and care for the causes of these health problems.

Fall 2013 informational distribution efforts included flyers and pamphlets delivered with the Christmas Baskets handed out at Redbird Mission. A 1-800 number and Facebook page were also established and plans for online surveys to increase home safety were set into motion.

Information distribution is a fast and easy way to begin communicating health and architectural issues to the residents of Manchester and Clay County.

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Tooth Decay Gum Disease Poor Hygiene Diarrhea Untreated Illness

Proper Nutrition Schizophrenia Dimensia Anxiety Disorders Depression Neglect

COMMUNITY-UTILITY

COMMUNITY-SOCIAL

Unclean Water Inaccessible Roads Sewage Failures

Colds Pneumonia Asthma Lung Disease Allergies Diabetes

HOME-SURFACES

Broken Bones Wounds Concussions Infection Obesity

HOME-STRUCTURAL

Isolation Lonliness Lack of Proper Care Leaky Ceilings Bad Insulation Mold No Electricity No Heat and Air Poor Ventilation

Collapsed Floor Colapsed Ceiling Collapsed Foundation Bad Driveways Inaccessible Slopes

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This flyer was included with each Christmas Basket given out at Redbird Missions during Christmas 2013.

The Fall 2013 team also made a model that reflected the information of the flyer and pamphlet created by Nursing students. These actions provided physical sources of information as well as a community event to share them at and initiate word of mouth communication.

Be Ready! Winter Weather Make Ma ke sur ure e yo your ur car is ready - Ma Mak ke a win inte terr em emer erge genc ncy y kit to keep in yo ke your ur car ar.

- Ch Chec eck k an anttifree e ze lev evel el and have ra adi diattor sys yste tem m se serv rvic iced ed..

- Re Repl p ac ace e wa warn n tir ires es and che hec ck air prres essu sure re - Ke Keep ep gas tan ank k fu full ll to av avoi oid d ic ice in tank ta nk and d fue uell liine nes. s.

-K Keep wo wood odst s acks away from the ho h use to pre revent fire an and insects.

- Chec ck for air leaks!

These ca an be fi fillle led with newspapers or towe wels

- In nst stall a smoke detectorr and carbo b n mo m ono noxide d detector in your home - Make sure th the e ba batt tter erie es are re working!

Have your chim mne ne ney or fl flu ue inspected ever ev ery year!

M ke sur Ma ure e yo you u ar are e re read ady! y!

- Dr Dres e s wa warm rmly ly and lim mitt exp xpossur u e to th he co cold d and pre reve vent nt fro rosttbi bite te - Av Avoi oid d ge gett ttin ing g we wett to pre reve vent nt hypo hy poth po ther ermi mia, a, esp spec e ia iall lly y iff you hav ave circ ci rc cul u atio on isssu sues es.

If pow wer lin i es are dow in own: n: - call your local uttillitty an and d em mergen er ncy serv rvice es.

If pow wer lines fall on n you ourr ca car: r:

- wa warn rn peo eopl ple nott to tou o ch the car or power lines

If your power goes out / you don’t have heat: - close windows and doors - close close curtains - contain yourself in main rooms - close off smaller rooms - Stairs can be salted with sand or kitty litter!

- Never leave lit candles or other flames unintended!

- Bring pets indoors temperature drops!

For more information about the Appalachia Community Health & Disaster Readiness Project call: (865) 974-2372 or email:ldavanp1@utk.edu Follow us on facebook & share your idea with us! www.facebook.com/appalachiaUTK This project is funded by USDHHS, Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Grant #UD7HP26205-01-00

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How do we provide resources in natural, sustaining ways?

Can we encourage more accessible resource locations?

How do we present new economic, social, and wellness options to the residents of Clay County?

We can answer these questions with a simple answer: Communication and Education. The significance of a community event such as a meeting with food provided is its reflection of a common dinner party or some traditional social meeting. The relaxed environment allows for relationships to develop and the trade of information and professional advice becomes more informal.

Music, eating, and “getting to know each other� are typical social elements that we all understand.

Appalachian culture is known for its seclusion and hesitancy towards strangers, but an understandable environment such as a dinner party can relieve the awkwardness of a first encounter.

Photo: Museum of Appalachia

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OUTREACH AND REPAIRS Redbird Missions currently provides outreach to the community through many efforts such as housing repairs and food baskets at the holidays. As mentioned, the Fall 2013 team provided flyers and pamphlets with the holiday baskets to introduct our work, but there are hopes to become more involved in the housing repairs and outreach trips taken by Redbird.

Providing resources and getting to know residents by volunteering are the first steps in this process. The staff at Redbird and an interview with a health worker named Angela made it clear that a slowly building relationship is the best kind to develop with the people of Clay County. To rush would be an error and possibly an offense to the residents.

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CONSTRUCTION The Construction section of this research provides an explanation of the value of considering traditional architectural types within the study of Appalachia.

Also, we discuss precedents for the social aspects of researching, designing, and constructing homes for residents in need.

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How can new construction be influenced by tradition?

VERNACULAR TYPOLOGIES STUDYING APPALACHIA STUDYING RURAL CHARACTERISTICS

ADAPTING THE OLD THE NEW NORRIS HOUSE AND MANUFACTURED HOMES

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Photo: From the Living Light Project, UTK CoAD 2011

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VERNACULAR TYPOLOGIES How will new construction respect the pride of home owners?

Understanding vernacular typologies like historic Appalachian home styles and even the contemporary mobile home will guide an understanding of what Appalachians value. One of the greatest realizations we had was that the shift from people “living off the land� to people living off of WalMart. The system of values has altered from something entirely selfsustaining to a system that is dependent on big business. Market economy and capitalism, though this area seems rural, has made its impact. The buildings throughout the region have reflected this shift to lowcost mobile homes and other pre-fabricated building types. Though the environment has changed, the people have not and understanding their famous background as well as their present is absolutely key.

Affordability is clearly a modern value and these new needs are just as important as the old. The road to an accepted and healthy housing type is through means that acknowledge the resources available and the context of the people.

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Photo: Tennessee Department of Outdoors: Parks, Conservation, and Wildlife

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ADAPTING THE OLD The New Norris House is a student designed and built project, headed by Professors Tricia Stuth and Robert French, undertaken by the College of Architecture and Design in coordination with Engineering, and several private community sponsors. The project seeks to take the traditional “Norris House” designed by TVA in the 1930s and study its adaptability to electric and sustainable needs.

The original Norris Houses populated America’s first planned community, built for TVAs workers and their families. The houses are small, but the first fully powered in the area. Theses houses represent the first wave of modernity in the southern Appalachian region. Their unique modular nature combined with a sensitive vernacular approach maintains their viability as fascinating case studies even in 2013.

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The New Norris House is a freshtake on the modern house. Maintaining the familiarity of the original Norris House “look,” NNH challenges the house’s ability to rethink its energy use. If the original houses claimed that energy and community would change the residents’ life, then the new house claims that the residents will now change their energy use and community through responsible, modern strategies.

Photo: Robert Batey, 2013

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The New Norris House takes the original designs of TVA’s worker houses and re-examines them in the context of modern spatial necessities. The house maintains visual neighborhood rhythms with its simple gabled façade. The footprint of the house mimics the originals as well with a rectangular form and clear distinctions between social spaces and private space. Material use is a subtle combination of grey-tinted wood siding and CMU. Though these attain a distinctly modern feel, they are not far from the vernacular cladding of the town.

A picture window at the front displays the house to the street, replacing the front porch with an image of the kitchen. However, a back porch provides a space where residents can watch wildlife, socialize, or eat just before the edge of the property and forest.

These physical properties link the New Norris House comfortably to the historical town. In Clay County, a visual vernacular is proper to keep in mind, but there are also important non-physical factors to consider in the designing of new structures.

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Photo: New Norris House Rendering 2010

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THE NON-PHSYCIAL VERNACULAR Pride: People, especially in low-resource regions like Appalachia, take pride in what they do own. Their land, maintained by the family often since the 1700s, is the source of their dignity. When we talk about vernacular, we’re talking about identity. There are many forms of this beyond the physical aspects of the house.

As we saw in the section discussing social aspects and previously in Topic 1 on Construction, there are always multiple perspectives on lifestyles and therefore vernacular.

Independence: Earlier we looked at the transition from self-sustaining to market dependence. However, we still see the strong strain of independence in Appalachian culture. Qualities that may seem stereotypical or strange to us are always tracable to an origin and understanding these provides grounds for a new and more successful means of communicating with the residents of Clay County.

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Photo: Untitled Appalachian Photograph Rob Amberg

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RURAL STUDIO What does home ownership and self-reliance mean today?

The Rural Studio, located in Hale County Alabama, provides a means of identifying process of ideas and direction for future development. Housing projects taken in by the Rural Studio students are integrally dependent on the willingness and participation of the community and the client the architecture services.

The house to the right provides and example of new construction on site while still maintaining the original home structure. It was important that the client was able to choose when they moved from one home to the other. Strong participation remained necessasry through the entire design and construction process.

Photo: Bryant’s (Hay Bale) House Rural Studio images: Timothy Hursley

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An ailing issue that relates to housing in Clay Co. (and other Appalachian regions) is a continual disconnection from private land and the ability it once had to sustain adequate living environments for families. Pre Manufactured, mass produced housing exists as some of the only affordable housing solutions in the area. The ability for residents to repair and maintain these houses has lessened dramatically from disconnect between resident, land, and construction.

It is important, as we move forward, to consider issues inherently based in manufactured homes and the inability to connect with place (vernacular).

That being said, we find the example handout to be uninformative of the region and the types of houses residents of Clay Co. actually live in. It is important to connect with the community through appropriate visual examples as a means of education. The strength of the area is its land, people, and the stories they have to tell. It is in this that we will find a way to communicate, clearly, tactics for winter readiness that also encourage natural strengths of the vernacular.

Photo: Wikipedia, Hatfields and McCoys

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HOLLOW SECTION HOUSING QUALITIES

TEAM MEMBERS

College of Architecture and Design Haley Allen, undergrad Marion Forbes, undergrad Collin Cope, undergrad Phil Geiman, graduate John McRae, Professor David Matthews, Professor Joleen Darragh, RA, Project Manager College of Nursing Susan Speraw, PhD, RN, Project Director Moriah McArthur, MSc, Clinical Instructor Lisa Davenport, PhD, RN CEN, Project Manager Stasia Ruskie, MS, RN Jacqueline Schrubb, RN, MPH Deborah Beaver, BSN, RN Lauren Oppizzi, BSN, RN

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Biggers, Jeff. The United States of Appalachia. USA: Malloy. 2006 Edwards, Grace Toney, JoAnn Aust Asbury, and Ricky L. Cox; editors. A Handbook to Appalachia. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press. 2006.

Murray, Kenneth. Down to Earth People of Appalachia. Boone, NC: Appalachia Constortium. 1981.

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