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For 75 years, the Union Mills Community House has served as a place for the municipality’s residents to gather and fellowship. On Saturday, November 15 the Community House will again be the center for socializing during an open house.
“The Union Mills Community House is one of just a few such buildings in our county,” said Christine Ammons, a resident of Union Mills and Secretary/Treasurer of the Union Mills Community Development Club, which maintains the building. “We want people to know this is in our community.”
Founded out of the Home Demonstration Club, The Community House was built by the National Youth Administration, a New Deal agency that focused on providing work and education for youth between the ages of 16 and 25.
“The community raised $1,900 for extra materials and some furnishings,” Ammons explained. “Today that would be equivalent to $32,000.”
Tax listing and voting was once done at the Community House, but its main function has always been to provide a place for those in the community to socialize.
“I’m sure at one time they did singings and skits because there wasn’t television like there is today,” Ammons said, gesturing at the building’s stage. “My family for years had a Christmas party with square dancing and live musicians, and I know there was square dancing here for the public.”
More recently, she added, birthday parties, a regular meeting of a local car club, weddings and even a memorial service have been held in the building.
The Union Mills Development Club hosts various activities at the Community House, including a community yard sale, Christmas party and trick-or-treating for Halloween.
The Union Mills Community House open house will be Saturday, November 15 from noon to 2 p.m. A cook-out lunch will be served and visitors will have an opportunity to view a DVD of past years. The Community House is available for various functions; for information on renting the facility, contact Kay Briscoe at 828-223-6130.
