Veteran's Hall of Honor and Heritage Hall

Designed to honor local veterans who have served in various conflicts throughout history.

The brainchild of Judge Wayne T. Rutherford, this exhibit is the result of he and his staff’s desire to honor local military service men and women. This exhibit also features a multitude of artifacts from Appalachian history.

Attraction Spotlight

Honoring Eastern Kentucky heritage.

The Pike County Heritage Hall is comparable to a museum, with 10 large display cases and a television depicting our county’s history. The cases contain rare and interesting items, many of which are one-of-a-kind, and the television shows old photographs of people, places and things from throughout Pike County. The display cases are dedicated to specific time periods. The cabinets are dedicated to Pike County’s prehistory (Native Americans), agriculture, industry and commerce, politics, famous Pike Countians, the history of coal, travel and improvement projects (building of roads, Pikeville Cut-Thru, etc.), literary history of Pike County, law enforcement (specifically to those who have died in the line of duty) and the future of Pike County. Items are either donated or loaned to the Heritage Hall by individuals, museums or local groups and organizations.

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Honoring those who served.

This award-winning exhibit features a computer screen that hangs on a wall on the first floor of the Pike County courthouse. Above the computer’s screen, county officials placed the words “Veterans Hall of Honor” and hung plaques representing each branch of the armed services. Display cases flank the computer database, showcasing war memorabilia contributed by Pike County veterans. On the opposite wall, a flag hangs for each branch of the armed forces.

Since the Veteran’s Hall of Honor Program began, veterans and veterans’ family members have contributed pictures and information for almost 500 service men and women. There are veterans listed in the database for every war since the Civil War, with room for many more—the program’s database has capacity to hold information on about 70,000 veterans.

Ronnie Parsons, a computer programmer who is a former Marine who fought in the U.S. invasion of Panama and the Gulf War, was tasked with designing software that displays a database of photographs featuring veterans from the region.

Attraction Spotlight

Memorializing our fallen police officers.

The Roy Conway Fallen Police Officers Memorial is the newest addition to the historic Pike County Courthouse’s award-winning Heritage Hall. Featuring individual plaques honoring law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, this somber memorial reminds us all of the sacrifices made by not only the officers, but their families for the price of peace, safety and justice. A monument to fallen police officers is also located outside the Courthouse, with the Officer’s Prayer inscribed upon it.

If not for the passion and vision of retired Kentucky State Police Detective Terry Thompson and Pike County Judge Executive Wayne T. Rutherford, this memorial would not have been accomplished. Let us always remember these sacrifices, and pray that no more names be added to this memorial.

Judi Patton, Former First Lady of Kentucky & Pike County Tourism CVB Chairlady