Re-visit Knifley: Randy Quinn's Miniature Town on ColumbiaMagazine.com

2014-09-07 - The Olde Town Cafe (formerly Knifley Grade Center), 12190 Knifley Road, Knifley, KY - Photo by Ed Waggener. Randy Quinn continues to work on this miniature Olde Knifley tabletop village. Above, what is he had completed for Re-Visit Knifley was a huge hit at the celebration which drew crowds to Knifley as never seen before, on Saturday, September 7, 2014. This is photo is just a bit over half the scene. But it's detailed a detailed look at thethe part of of Olde Knifley - before it was taken by the Corps of Engineers for Green River Lake, which I remember from my childhood. The old four-way, the main E-W, N-S has crossing has now been moved; the wide faint blue marking is the old four-way. On the left, the road was to KY 206; on the right to Campbellsville. At top is the road south, to Columbia; on the bottom, the road north to Clementsville. Along Knifley's Main Street, the miniatures include, upper left to right: the house now remembered as the Hallie Knifley house; it was the home of our Chelf grandparents; the next building, with the diamond skylights, was the L.R. Chelf store, later owned by Hallie Knifley, later by Marshall Chelf, and now lives on as Baker's Store in another location. Then the red two story building - it was the Booth Hovious Bank; then the Jack Hovious Store; across the four way, the little red structure was the Wheeler Building; and the two story gray structure was the post office building. In the upper corner the small building was Hatfield Restaurant (A digression: If there is one sense excited by the word 'Knifley' is the sense of taste and salivation, quickly followed by reminiscence of the aromas and sight of the best food on earth; Re-visitors yesterday weren't let down, by the way. The food was unforgettable.).
There's a whole 'nother end of the miniature village which includes Knifley High School, and the Babe Hovious House (still standing on Re-Visit Knifley Day I, more magnificent than ever), but I couldn't get it in this frame with the point and shoot). Continuing clockwise on the main street, the large blue building, on the far right, was the skating rink, later Southern States in Knifley; continuing across the Clementsville Road, to the right, the Halcomb Building, then the Ida Bailey home; and, at far right, the Murrie Knifley Home.

For a day - Re-Visit Knifley I - the old Knifley Grade Center gymnasium was a Smithsonian of all things Knifley. Thanks to Randy and Malinda Quinn, it's remained a museum year round. The building lives on with an adaptive re-use and still serves as a once a month, year round place to Re-visit Knifley. That's when the Quinns re-open the school as Olde Towne Restaurant, itself a legendary institution. (Forgive me, readers, I had fluff in my ear when Randy told me; will post later) - Ed Waggener