Fohs Hall in

Marion, Kentucky Marion is a home rule-class city in Crittenden County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,039. The farm communities surrounding Marion are home to a large Amish popu ...

was built in 1926. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1982. It was built to serve as a community center for Marion and was a donation of Ferdinand Julius Fohs, a notable

petroleum geologist A petroleum geologist is an earth scientist who works in the field of petroleum geology, which involves all aspects of oil discovery and production. Petroleum geologists are usually linked to the actual discovery of oil and the identification ...

who grew up in Marion. Architects

Frankel and Curtis Frankel & Curtis was an architectural firm of Lexington, Kentucky. It was a partnership of Leon K. Frankel and of John J. Curtis, along with associates James Slaughter Frankel and Melbourne Mills. A successor name is Frankel, Curtis & Coleman. U ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

, designed the building, which was built at cost of $73,081 on the site of the small house where Fohs had lived. Fohs donated it to the Marion Board of Education to serve as a community center and as an auxiliary building for Marion High School, which was located across the street. The building included a music room, a lounge, a study hall, a small library, classrooms, and an auditorium. It is a two-story brick building on a

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

foundation. It has a recessed center bay in its front, north-facing facade, topped by a stone

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

supported by four Corinthian columns. With . Fohs formed a geological firm, Fohs and Gardner, with James H. Gardner as partner. Fohs is credited with helping discover the

Mexia Mexia ( or ) is a city in Limestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,893 at the 2020 census. The city's motto, based on the fact that outsiders tend to mispronounce the name as (), is "A great place to live, no matter how ...

oil field in 1920.

References

School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Neoclassical architecture in Kentucky Government buildings completed in 1926 National Register of Historic Places in Crittenden County, Kentucky 1926 establishments in Kentucky Education in Crittenden County, Kentucky Community centers in Kentucky {{CrittendenCountyKY-NRHP-stub