The College Street Historic District is made up of nine residences and is located nearby the Pikeville College Academy Building, the city's first educational facility, after which the street is named. Though the area and its homes were already inhabited by the time of the Academy Building's construction and opening in 1889, the area's development flourished at a quicker pace, with many of Pikeville's notable figures as well as those associated with the college taking up residence along the street. Because of the period in which these residences were constructed and remodeled, during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the historic district is comprised of vernacular and classical revival&nbsp;architectural styles. One of the most notable of the residences included in the College Street Historic District is the Kate Dils Thornsberry Hatcher House, located at 229 College Street. The home was purchased in 1906 by Kate following the death of her husband, Columbus Hatcher, whose family was affiliated with the board of trustees of the Pikeville Academy. In addition to her connection to the Hatcher family through her marriage, Kate was related to Col. John Dils, a well-known abolitionist and namesake of the Dils cemetery located in Pikeville. Most significantly, Kate is believed to be the first female business owner Pikeville, having opened a hat shop in her home before later renting another building for her shop.&nbsp; The district's significance, as outlined by the National Register of Historic Places, lies primarily in the district's status as a prime example of late nineteenth to early twentieth-century transitional neighborhood. It developed both immediately before and after the turn of the century, something which is reflected not merely in the architecture but the evolving uses and&nbsp;purposes of the residences within the district. Today, all of these residences are inhabited by residents of Pikeville, though they have, for the most part, retained their original designs.&nbsp;

View of several houses along College Street

Information on the individuals who lived along and contributed to College St. in the 1880s-on

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Pikeville's College Street Historic District consists of nine homes and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984 despite significant redevelopment since that time. The neighborhood included the former shop of Kate Dils Thornberry Hatcher which opened in 1909 and is believed to be the first female-run business in the community. Most of the buildings are located along College Street in downtown Pikeville. The district, which begins next to the Pikeville College Academy Building, includes nine historic homes including this former shop and the Methodist Parsonage, one of the oldest religious buildings in Pikeville.

College Street Historic District

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The county seat of Pike County, Kentucky, Pikeville was founded in 1822 as Piketon before later changing its name in 1850. The city is a regional hub and perhaps most famous for its role in the Hatfield and McCoy feud. Trials related to the feud occurred in Pikeville and several participants of the feud lived in the city which also became the eventual home of the McCoy family. The tour includes architecturally significant buildings, historic homes, local history museums and sites related to the town's labor and railroad history as well as its diverse communities. 

On New Year's Day in 1888, reportedly just after midnight, the original McCoy home located on Blackberry Creek in what is now Hardy, Kentucky, was attacked by a group of men from the Hatfield family. The home was&nbsp;set on fire and&nbsp;completely destroyed, with only the well which sat next to the home on the property surviving. Randolph and Sarah McCoy lost two of their children in the attack.&nbsp;Calvin and Alifair McCoy perished and matriarch Sarah McCoy was brutally beaten and nearly killed as well.&nbsp;With nothing left of their home, Randolph and Sarah fled into the woods to escape. As a result of the increasingly violent nature of the feud, the governors of both Kentucky and West Virginia urged members of the Hatfield and McCoy families to relocate and distance themselves from one another. With this in mind, Perry Cline, a lawyer and distant relative of the McCoys who also had&nbsp;a history of run-ins with the Hatfields, helped Randolph and Sarah relocate closer to his own home in Pikeville. The McCoys&nbsp;soon purchased a home on Main Street, close to Scott Avenue.&nbsp;Perry Cline helped Randolph find a job operating a ferry on the Big Sandy River nearby. The two stayed there until their respective deaths before then being buried in the Dils cemetery nearby.&nbsp; Today, the McCoy home is still standing on Pikeville's Main Street and is recognized and marked as a state historical landmark. The home has since been remodeled and a significant portion of the home is part of&nbsp;Chirico's restaurant. The owners of the home and restaurant preserved portions of the original home, which can be seen in the accompanying photos. In addition, the dining area of the restaurant contains a plethora of framed pictures and memorabilia relating to the feud and is on display for diners. Though typically restricted by the restaurant's owners, diners and visitors are frequently given permission to view and tour what other parts of the former McCoy home.&nbsp;

After their original home on Blackberry Creek in Hardy was set on fire and destroyed by a group of men from the Hatfield family in 1888, members of the McCoy family relocated to Pikeville and eventually lived in this home on Main Street. The McCoy patriarch, Randolph McCoy, worked as a ferry operator during these years with his wife Sarah. Today the former McCoy home is the location of Chirco's Restaurant. The home includes a historical marker and is listed as a state historical landmark. Parts of the original home have been preserved and the owners frequently allow diners and visitors to explore the landmark. 

McCoy House in Pikeville 

York House was constructed sometime during the two decades leading up to the Civil War, though the exact record of its construction have not been preserved. It is known, however, that the home, then called the Dils House, was inhabited by Col. John Dils and his wife. Dils was an extremely prominent figure in the Pikeville community, having previously served in the 39th Kentucky Mounted Infantry during the Civil War and later establishing a local convenience store and helping to establish the state's first racially integrated cemetery, Dils Cemetery.&nbsp; In 1864, Col. Dils and his wife deeded the home to their daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. J.M. York. The Yorks lived in the home for decades after it was gifted to them and soon proved, like the home's previous owners, to be invaluable members of the Pikeville community. While living in the home, the two built and established the Creekmore mansion, whose unique architectural style sets it apart from other residences in the town. In addition, Mr. York served as a judge from the years 1900-1904 and, together with his wife, made frequent contributions to the Pikeville College, leading to the home eventually becoming known as the York House.&nbsp; The home, a two story frame house, is notable for its Italianate style, featuring a polygonal bay as well as rounded arch windows, overhanging eaves, and a one story front porch. In addition to its notable design, York House is the oldest unaltered residence in Pikeville, a fact made all the more remarkable given the excellent condition it is in even today, and which led to its admittance into the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Today, the home is still in near-perfect condition, and is currently housing a business called Spoiled Rotten, a clothing boutique for small children. The current owners of the home and business have taken care to avoid altering the home in any manner, so visitors of the famous York House can observe the home as it was when it was inhabited by both the Dils and the Yorks.&nbsp;

York House, located at 210 Main Street in Pikeville, KY was constructed in the years leading up to the Civil War, though its exact date of construction has not been preserved on historical documents. It was initially occupied and owned by Col. John Dils and his wife, the former of whom was a well-known businessman and abolitionist. In 1864, the home was passed down to the Dils' daughter and her husband, J.M. York, a prominent judge in Pikeville. Today, it serves as the location of a children's boutique in addition to being accepted by the National Register of Historic Places for its notable Italianate architecture and its status as the oldest unaltered residence in Pikeville. 

York House

The
Big Sandy Heritage Center was established in September of 2003. Located behind
the old Courthouse in the former Hall of Justice, it houses the world's largest
collection of artifacts from the Hatfield and McCoy Feud. Also on display are
items showcasing the history of the Big Sandy area from the Native Americans to
the artists on the Country Music Highway.&nbsp;The museum offers walking tours of the city of Pikeville, which allows visitors to see the many historical buildings while hearing about their significance.&nbsp;

Opened in September, 2003, the Big Sandy Heritage Center houses several collections highlighting the culture of the Big Sandy area of Kentucky. These collections include artifacts from the Hatfield and McCoy feud, Native Americans, early settlers, coal mining, military history, the Country Music Highway, and the Cut-Through. 

Big Sandy Heritage Center

In 1907, the Chesapeake Ohio Railway Company, specifically the line which serve the Big Sandy Valley,&nbsp;reached Pikeville, Kentucky. The arrival of the railway marked the introduction of modern transportation into the area, a feat which helped launch Pikeville into a period of exponential growth and development in the years that followed. This growth included a demand for increased rail transportation, which, in turn, led to an increase in railroad related job inquiries, with the result being the construction of the&nbsp;Chesapeake Ohio Passenger Depot by the company in 1923, along Hambley Boulevard.&nbsp; The depot, designed by the company, is a one - story brick building, built in the Classical Revival architectural style, and was accompanied by an adjacent baggage shed placed around fifty yards away from the side of the depot. The depot and its baggage shed was placed along Hambley Boulevard as a result of its proximity to the station as well as the boulevard's status as a central point in Pikeville, leading to the depot becoming a focal point of the city. The depot became so ingrained in Pikeville's every day life, in fact, that numerous weddings reportedly took place there during the 1920s and 1930s. The depot remained opened and served the Pikeville community until 1983, when the rail service was terminated. Following this termination, the tracks were removed and the old route was bypassed. Following its closure, the depot was nominated to the National Register of Historical Places, eventually being recognized in 1985.&nbsp; Since the termination of the rail service in the early 1980s, the depot has been the site of several other businesses and locales, including, initially, acting as a temporary town hall for Pikeville until 1990. The most significant use of the depot following its temporary stint as town hall was its hosting of the Big Sandy Heritage Museum for several years until the museum's relocation in 2015. The Heritage Museum included artifacts and objects concerned with the history not only of Pikeville, but the Big Sandy Valley and Appalachia as a whole, including farming tools, furniture, and clothing. Most recently, the depot served as the host of The Roasted Cafe, which was in business from 2015 to 2017.&nbsp;

The Chesapeake and Ohio Passenger Depot was constructed in 1923 along Hambley Boulevard in Pikeville, Kentucky. The depot was built by the Chesapeake Ohio Railway company following their successful expansion into Pikeville beginning in 1907. The depot soon became an integral part of the town for many years before finally closing in 1983. Following the termination of the railway, the depot has since served as a town hall, a local history museum, and a cafe. 

Chesapeake and Ohio Passenger Depot (Pikeville, KY)

James Hatcher was born in Floyd County, Kentucky, in 1859. As an adult, he established a home and numerous successful businesses in Pikeville. By the late 19th century, his empire included ownership interests in warehouses, steamboats, land, timber, oil, coal, banking, and even hotels.James marred Octavia J. Smith, daughter of Jacob and Pricey Smith, in 1889. She was eleven years his junior, having been born in 1870. Their only child, a son they named Jacob, was born on January 4th, 1891, but died a few hours later. Octavia sunk into depression following the loss of their infant son and by April, she was bedridden. Within a month she was comatose and reportedly passed on May 2nd, 1891. The local legend suggests that Octavia had fallen into a deeper coma and mistakenly buried shortly after her family believed she had passed. Concerns about the unseasonably hot weather given the lack of effective embalming techniques at that time may have accelerated the decision. Her grave was in Pikeville Cemetery, next to that of her infant son. This is where the documented facts of Octavia’s life end. According to local memory, several other Pikeville residents came down with a similar disease in the days following Octavia’s death. In contrast to her long ordeal, these individuals recovered after lying in a coma for several days. The local memory suggests that James responded to these recoveries by fearing that his wife may have also been in a deep coma. Fearing that Octavia may have been buried alive, he finally ordered her body exhumed. What he found was shocking: the inside lining of the casket was shredded, while Octavia’s fingernails were cracked and bloody. Her face was frozen in a contorted expression of agony. Here the documentary record picks up again: James ordered a life size marble statue, based on a photograph of Octavia, to adorn her grave. The statue – reportedly sculpted in Italy – was completed and placed in the cemetery in 1892. Some believe that he bought such an extravagant memorial to make sure that she was never forgotten. James later opened the Pike Hotel, said to be located in sight of the statue so that Octavia could look down on him. Proponents of the myth claim its endurance and widespread acceptance as proof. Big Sandy Heritage Center curator Everett Johnson said, “I think there’s enough anecdotal evidence to say this really did happen.”[7] Those who doubt the legend point to the total lack of even remotely period evidence; according to Polly Hopkins, BSHC director, “there are no documents to support the fact that she had this ‘sleeping’ disease, that she was buried alive, or even that she was exhumed.”[8] They argue the legend may have originated from some of James’s eccentricities. He was an amateur historian of sorts and was even known to tell a tale about a woman and child who were crushed by a large stone and then haunted the site of their death – strikingly similar to some of the later stories associated with Octavia’s grave. The walls of his James Hatcher Hotel (opened in 1916) were covered in quotations; the hotel also featured a museum, which displayed artifacts from the days of pioneer settlers as well as James’s own custom-built casket. It is generally accepted that this casket had some sort of escape mechanism or alarm. However, it is debated whether James bought the casket to avoid Octavia’s fate or if he was simply following a trend of taphophobia (fear of being buried alive) that ran throughout the 19th century. In 1844, Edgar Allen Poe published Premature Burial, a story about an obsessive taphophobic who ends up buried alive. Supposedly factual stories of mistaken burials from the 1300s to more recent decades were circulated widely during the period; in 1884, a doctor published a collection called One Thousand Persons Buried Alive By Their Best Friends. Patents were issued for various types of “safety caskets” throughout the late 1800s; an 1868 model had a simple bell, while an 1885 model had a motion activated alarm and air intake fan. The book Premature Burial and How It May Be Prevented: With Special Reference to Trance, Catalepsy, and Other Forms of Suspended Animation was published in 1905. It is possible that authors and businessmen simply capitalized from one of man’s biggest fears without a shred of evidence; however, as recently as 2014, a man was found alive in a funeral home, on his way to eventual burial. The Octavia Hatcher legend may simply be another part of a long tradition of similar tales. Whether the story itself is factual or not, ghost stories about the statue abound. One of the most enduring was that “Octavia” would sometimes turn away from the city, as if to reprimand its people for having forgotten her. However, it was found out that University of Pikeville students had been spinning the statue at night (it is alleged that they were the ones who broke off her right hand, which originally held a parasol). In the mid 1990s, the Hatcher family fenced their plot and placed the statue on a large pedestal inscribed with the names of Octavia’s immediate relatives as well as her age and date of death.

The legend of Octavia Hatcher and her life-size monument in Pikeville Cemetery is one that has fascinated and disturbed locals and macabre tourists for well-over a century. The story follows one Octavia Hatcher, the wife of a wealthy businessman in Pikeville, Kentucky during the late 1800s. After falling into a comatose state following the death of her infant son, Jacob Hatcher, Octavia was hastily buried during the particularly hot summer when embalming was still in its early development. Octavia's husband, John Hatcher, began to suspect the horrifying notion that his wife had been buried alive when other residents of Pikeville, previously having fallen into comas, were waking up. Octavia's grave was exhumed and her remains were found contorted with agony, proving her husband's fears to be true. Racked with guilt, John Hatcher commissioned a life-size monument to his deceased wife, which overlooks not only the city of Pikeville, but the small grave of Jacob Hatcher as well, who was buried in a small plot beside his mother. Rumors of hauntings and similar oddities at the site abound and the story of Octavia Hatcher was featured in an episode of The Travel Channel’s Mysteries at the Museum.

Octavia Hatcher Grave at Pikeville Cemetery

Ellison Hatfield "Cottontop" Mounts was born in August 1864 in Logan, West Virginia. He was the illegitimate child of Ellison and Harriet Hatfield, first cousins and close relatives of clan leader "Devil Anse," though he later took the surname Mounts when his mother, Harriet, married Daniel Mounts in 1867. Numerous accounts suggest that Ellison may have been albino, while others note he may have been mentally challenged, the latter of which led to his nickname, "Cottontop."&nbsp; Elliot is most well-known for his role in the 1888 New Year's Day attack against the McCoy family during which he and a group comprised of other Hatfield men ambushed their rivals' home on Blackberry Creek in Hardy, KY. During the attack, the Hatfields shot and killed Calvin and Alifair McCoy, two of the children of clan leader Randolph McCoy, in addition to severely beating their mother, Sarah, before then setting the home on fire. Accounts, based on Mounts's later confession, state that the attack turned violent&nbsp;after Johnse Hatfield prematurely fired a shot, thereby causing his men to follow suit and the&nbsp;McCoys to retaliate. Confused by the sudden chaos, Mounts claimed to have mistakenly shot and killed Alifair while one of his relatives fatally wounded Calvin.&nbsp; Public opinion is said to have acknowledged this attack as the most atrocious occurrence of the feud, and it was not long before a bounty had been placed upon the heads of the men who carried out the attack. Consequently, it was only a few days later when bounty hunter Frank Phillips chased down Jim Vance and Cap Hatfield, the leaders of the attack, killing Vance in the ensuing fight. He then rounded up nine other Hatfield men who were connected to the attack, including Mounts. The men's case famously went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, who ruled their crime was serious enough to warrant a trial, which began in 1889 and ultimately found eight of the Hatfield men, who were represented by attorney Perry Cline,&nbsp;guilty and sentenced to spend the remainder of their lives in prison.&nbsp; The ninth man, Mounts, unlike his accomplices, was not represented by Cline and instead&nbsp;plead guilty and admitted to the murder, presumably under the impression that it would lessen his sentence. Though accounts indicate he was viewed as merely a scapegoat, an assumption furthered by Mount's last words, which were, reportedly, "The Hatfields made me do it," Mounts's confession ultimately resulted in him being sentenced to death by hanging. Numerous feud historians also cite evidence of his possible innocence, as indicated by testimony given by one of the McCoys during the trial who claimed it was Cap Hatfield, not Ellison Mounts, who was the killer, and that Mounts had confessed under the impression that his family would save him before he could be hanged.&nbsp; Mounts was executed on February 18th, 1890, and, though public executions were against the law in Kentucky, the notoriety of the feud led to officials arranging the execution to take place at the base of a hill along Kentucky Avenue in Pikeville, KY, in an effort to provide a clear view for the thousands of spectators who gathered at the hilltop to witness Mounts's death. After his execution, Mounts was buried in an unmarked grave near the hillside where he was hanged.&nbsp;

After the New Year's Day attack on the McCoy Home in 1888, the Hatfield men who led the raid were pursued by law enforcement. The governors of West Virginia and Kentucky both spoke out against the violence and a bounty hunter helped the McCoy family capture nine of the Hatfield men involved in the raid. This marker shares the history of the arrest and trial of the feudists, including Ellison "Cottontop" Mounts, cousin to Hatfield clan leader "Devil Anse." For his role in the raid and the deaths of Calvin and Alifair McCoy which occurred during the attack, Mounts was sentenced to death by hanging. His death makes him the only person who was legally executed during the feud. He was also one of only a handful of men to ever face legal repercussions as a result of their actions during the feud. This marker is located at the site of Mounts' execution in Pikeville. 

Feudists on Trial and the Hanging of Ellison "Cottontop" Mounts Historical Marker 

Augusta Dils York was the daughter of well-known businessman, soldier, and abolitionist John Dils, who established the first racially integrated cemetery in Pikeville, Kentucky. Dils and his family resided in York House, then known as Dils House, until the home was gifted to Augusta and her new husband upon her marriage to Judge J.M. Cline on July 17, 1875, in what was reportedly one of the grandest marriage ceremonies that had hitherto occurred in Pikeville. The the two lived in what was reportedly considered to be the most elaborate residence in eastern Kentucky, due in large part to the renovations the couple made to the home left to them by Augusta's mother and father, Augusta began to dream up her dream home, which would eventually take the form of York Mansion.&nbsp; By 1911, Augusta has received the inspiration she needed from other homes she observed during her travels with her husband, and she began to create sketches of the home she had in mind. She later created a cardboard model of the home and, along with her husband, took these and her sketches to New York to enlist the&nbsp;architectural services of W.J. Griffith Co. to finalize the blueprints. Work on the home began almost immediately, though progress was somewhat slowed both by the grandeur of the home as well as the rapidly declining health of Augusta's husband.&nbsp;By 1933, Augusta and her husband had already spent a then-unheard of $90,000 on the home. However, given the health of her husband, the two were never able to make the move to their new home, instead gifting it to their daughter Tot, who married Thomas L, Creekmore. J.M. York died a mere few months later, with Augusta proceeding him in death the following year, in 1934.&nbsp; The mansion, alternately called York Mansion and Creekwood Mansion, is notable for its classical revival style in addition to the care taken to preserve its original features, which include a wraparound porch, a raised basement, a high attic, and uniquely colored brick. The home also contributes to the Pikeville city skyline, a feat which, along with its residents and historic appearance, led to it being recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.&nbsp;

The Augusta Dils York Mansion, also known as Creekmore Mansion or simply shorted to York Mansion, was built in 1918 by Augusta Dils York. Augusta was the daughter of famed abolitionist and businessman John Dils as well as the wife of J.M. York, a prominent judge. The home is located along Elm Street in Pikeville, KY, and is based on the designs drawn up by Augusta herself. Though paid for and built to the specifications of the Yorks, the two never lived in the homes themselves, with it instead becoming lauded for its unique architecture and eventually being recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. 

Augusta Dils York Mansion

In 1887, a scouting party, consisting of Dr. W.C. Condit and Dr. Samuel B. Alderson, arrived in Pikeville. They departed from their respective homes in Ashville and Maysville, both of which are also located in Kentucky, and traveled across the southeast portion of Kentucky on the behalf of their church, Ebenezer Presbytery, part of the U.S. Presbyterian Church, because their fellow members were concerned that the area's people were not being offered the proper spiritual and educational opportunities available to others. After their survey of Pikeville, Condit and Alderson felt that these concerns were valid, and were soon joined by one of their peers, James Hendricks, before being welcomed into the homes of the area's people and informing them of their decision to fund and build a Christian school for the people of Pikeville, which they considered to be the center of the area as well as the area with the most rapidly growing population.&nbsp; By 1889, a site had been secured as had the funding, construction materials, and the educational facility's board of trustees, which consisted of Condit, Alderson, and Hendricks as well as Rev. W.S. Fulton, W.M. Connonly, John Simpson, James Hatcher, Charles M. Parsons, and Mrs. F.B. Trusell.&nbsp;The building, then named the Pikeville Collegiate Institute, was erected at the center of what is now College Street in Pikeville, Kentucky. In the fall of that same year, the school, under the guidance of Rev. David Blyth, the leader of the Presbyterian church and the school's acting principal, was open for student enrollment, with the first day of classes taking place on September 16th, 1889. Under his guidance, the institute flourished, even expanding a year after its opening when Blyth arranged for the construction of another building, now known as Hendricks Hall.&nbsp;Blyth continued his role as principal for three years following the schools establishment before falling victim to typhoid fever rendered him unable to continue to work.&nbsp; The Institute, a four-room brick building, functioned as both a church and a school in addition to a meeting place for those who resided in Pikeville,&nbsp;and was, initially, not meant to be degree-granting university. After Blythe's initial expansion of the Institute with the construction of Hendricks Hall, however, the Institute continued to grow. By 1909, the Institute had split, with the original building being&nbsp; renamed the Pikeville Collefe academy and being opened as a private school for primary and secondary level education, with Hendricks Hall and becoming known as Pikeville College a public and accredited junior college which offered associates degrees to students.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1955 the school became a degree granting four-year college in its own right, and in 1957 the academy closed. The original Institute building has since become a state landmark and still sits in its original location along College Street in Pikeville amid other buildings from the current college's campus.&nbsp;It is the oldest educational facility still standing in Pike County, Kentucky, and is open for visitors.&nbsp;

The Pikeville Academy Building was constructed on College Street in Pikeville, Kentucky, in 1890. The building is the oldest surviving educational building in Pike County, Kentucky. It was constructed after a group of men, affiliated with the Presbyterian church, noticed the need of a place where Pike County residents could learn both academically and spiritually. Though used primarily for educational purposes, the building has also been used as a theater and hosted religious and social gatherings. Today, the building sits on the main campus of the University of Pikeville. 

Pikeville Academy College Building

The Pikeville Historical Mansion was built in 1892 along College Street in Pikeville, Kentucky, shortly after the increase in home construction and residents which occurred along the street following the construction of the Pikeville College Academy in 1890. According to local historians, the residence was designed and funded by Augusta Dils York, daughter of abolitionist and businessman&nbsp;Col. John Dils and wife of Pike County judge J.M. York, following their marriage in 1875. The home was designed to resemble York House, the home she resided in with her husband and children and had been gifted by her parents, explaining the similarities in the design of the two, and was Augusta's initial attempt at constructing her dream house prior to her efforts to construct the Augusta Dils York Mansion, also known as the Creekmore Mansion,&nbsp;in 1918.&nbsp;The residence was gifted to Augusta's daughter, Kate, who resided there with her own family, before later being passed to a series of different owners.&nbsp; In the early 2000s, the residence was acquired by a business local to Pike County, Romaine Keith, who had previously purchased the Hampton Inn located next to the property. Shortly afterward, the 2,022 sq.ft. home was remodeled and made into a bed and breakfast, with care taken to preserve as much of the original architecture as possible. The residence was renamed the Historic Pikeville Mansion, and features antique decor and furniture. In addition, each of the seven bedrooms available to rent at the bed and breakfast is named after and designed in accordance to a key historical figure who helped shape Pikeville. The individual rooms are also connected in that they act as both a timeline and a family tree.&nbsp; The first of the rooms is the Blennerhassett Room, named after Irish Prince Blennerhassett, a wealthy European explorer and businessman who settled on the border of Ohio and West Virginia and who proved to be extremely inspiring to his neighbor, John Dils, Sr., and his own business endeavors. Also featured is the Ransom room, named after a tutor hired Blennerhassett to aid in educating his children, as well as the Dils Room, named after Col. John Dils Jr., who was taught by Ransom following Blennerhassett's death. The remaining four rooms include the Ratliff Room, named for Dils Jr.'s wife, Anne, as well as the York Suite, named for Anne and John's daughter, Augusta, the builder of the residence, the Campbell Room, named for Augusta's daughter, Kate, and her husband, and, finally, the Johnson Room, named for Kate's sister Gypsy and her own husband.&nbsp; The Pikeville Historic Mansion Bed and Breakfast is open at all hours and accepts reservations all year long. More information about the business as well as the history associated with the residence and each of its rooms can be found on the business's website, linked below.&nbsp;

The Pikeville Historic Mansion Bed and Breakfast was built by Augusta York and her husband J.M. York in 1892 at 179 College Street in Pikeville, Kentucky. The home was originally resided in by the Yorks' daughter, Kate, and her husband, before then passing through a series of owners. In the early 2000s the residence was acquired by Romaine Keith, who, while retaining as much of its original design as possible, remodeled the home and transformed it into a bed and breakfast. The business features antique decor and architecture in addition to each of the rooms available to rent being named after an influential figure in the history of Pikeville. 

Pikeville Historic Mansion Bed and Breakfast

Randolph McCoy was a poor man and he and his family worked
and lived on a small farm. Randolph and his family lived on the Kentucky side
of the Tug Fork. He married his first cousin, Sally “Sarah” McCoy, and they had
16 children, of these five would die as a result of the feud. Some of his
kinsmen worked for the Hatfields, a fact that would further complicate some
events during the feud. McCoy had a brother named Asa Harmon McCoy who was seen
by many as a traitor for fighting with the Union army.

&nbsp;

The first direct act of violence and what many consider the
true start of the feud occurred at a local election in 1882. Ellison Hatfield
and one of his brothers were in Kentucky and got into a drunken brawl with
three of Randolph McCoy’s sons, Tolbert, Pharmer, and Bud. The brawl which
allegedly started because of a debt owed over a fiddle, led to Ellison’s death.
The McCoy brothers stabbed him 26 times and then shot him in the back. The
McCoy’s were arrested by Hatfields and were being taken to Pikeville to be
tried for the murder of Ellison Hatfield, but Devil Anse had them captured and
taken to West Virginia. Devil Anse told the McCoy boys that if Ellison died,
they would be killed. Two days after this threat was made, Devil Anse’s brother
Ellison died of his wounds. 

&nbsp;

The Hatfields took the McCoy boys into the woods and tied
them to papaw bushes where they were shot at a total of 50 times. All three
boys were dead within five minutes. While the Hatfields viewed this as justice,
their vigilante style revenge was still very illegal. Many of the men involved
immediately had indictments against them, including Devil Anse and his sons.
The Hatfields alluded arrest for an extended period of time and the governor of
Kentucky requested that efforts be made for the removal of the Hatfields from
West Virginia to Kentucky for trial. Governor E. Willis Wilson from West
Virginia refused this request and created tension between the states, but
allowed the Hatfields to avoid arrest.

&nbsp;

On New Year’s Night January 1, 1888, Jim Vance, Devil Anse
Hatfield’s uncle, led a raid on Randolph McCoy’s cabin in Pike County Kentucky.
Hatifield men surrounded the cabin and began to fire while the McCoy’s were
sleeping. The attackers burned the cabin to force the occupants out. Two of
McCoy’s children, Calvin and Alifair, were shot in the back while fleeing their
home Sarah McCoy, Randolph’s wife, was beaten nearly to death by the men and
left by the burning house. There was nothing of value left of the house, so the
McCoy family relocated to Pikeville to avoid the reach of Hatfield raiders.

&nbsp;

Randolph McCoy was never the same after losing so many of
his children and family members to the feud. He became a ferryman on the Tug
and he faded into obscurity while the legend of the Hatfield-McCoy feud lived
on. McCoy died on March 28, 1914 at the age of 88 while tending a fire. McCoy
was buried next to his wife Sarah in the Cemetery known as Dils Cemetery in
Kentucky.

Randolph McCoy was the face of the infamous McCoy clan from the famous feud with the Hatfields. McCoy lost 5 of his 16 children to the feud which raged in the Tug River Valley for 12 years. The feud that started with an argument over a hog would claim the lives of many involved and ended with the hanging of a Hatfield, Ellison Mounts. Randolph McCoy and his family suffered much at the hands of the Hatfields – their home was burned down, 3 children executed, 2 others shot. In return they put 8 Hatfields in jail for life. This feud is one of the most famous in national history, and buried here in Dils Cemetery is the patriarch of the McCoy clan and his wife, Sarah. 

Randolph McCoy Grave Site

Believing that this part of Kentucky was poised for economic growth, Colonel John Dils, Jr. moved from northern Virginia to Pike County, Kentucky in 1840. Dills settled in the community of Piketon which is now the city of&nbsp;Pikeville and found employment as a teacher. Dils saved his wages&nbsp;and later became a successful merchant.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dils was an extremely outspoken opponent of slavery and later became a supporter of the Union. Although Kentucky remained in the Union and eastern Kentucky sent many men to put down the rebellion, Kentucky was contested territory and Dils was targetted and captured by men who aligned themselves with the Confederacy. Dils spent a&nbsp;year at Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia, but was able to&nbsp;return to Piketon. At that time, he&nbsp;recruited a group of men to form the area's first Union regiment. This regiment&nbsp;fought against Confederate forces and Dils was discharged in 1863.&nbsp;After his discharge, Dils once again continued his work as a merchant. In 1871, he purchased&nbsp;property fro the Syck family which ran several miles up Chloe Creek and included a&nbsp;cemetery. Dils later sold all of the property but during the time he owned the land members of the&nbsp;Dils family and people who worked for Dils, including African Americans, were buried here along with other residents of the community.&nbsp;Dils employed many formerly enslaved persons at his&nbsp;tannery and general store. He also allowed other members of the community to be buried here regardless of race. As a result,&nbsp;one hundred and thirty African Americans were buried here. To date,&nbsp;forty-nine of those graves have been positively&nbsp;correctly identified. The cemetery also contains graves of soldiers from the Revolutionary War, Civil War,
Spanish-American War and World War IThis cemetery is also the final resting place of McCoy family leader&nbsp;Randolph McCoy, his wife, Sarah, their daughter,
Roseanna, their son, Sam and his wife, Martha McCoy. The cemetery is sometimes referred to as the Hatfield &amp; McCoy Feud Cemetery. During the feud, Dils himself served as a&nbsp;guardian and benefactor of Perry Cline whose actions led to government intervention in the feud.&nbsp;

The Dils Cemetery is believed to be the first racially integrated cemetery in Eastern Kentucky. Colonel John Dils, who was opposed to slavery, provided employment for many formerly enslaved persons at his tannery and general store. He later provided gravesites for these individuals and their descendants. Graves of soldiers from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I can be found at the cemetery along with the graves of members of the Hatfield and McCoy families. Dils Cemetery also includes lovely botanical gardens, a walking trail and an overlook. 

Driving Tour of Pikeville, KY

College Street Historic District

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information