But on Wednesday, as Alex Gibson, the organization’s executive director, stood inside the building that has housed Appalshop for four decades, all he could see was mud. Water damage covered the walls of the radio station. Every chair in the newly renovated 150-seat theater was caked in mud. Filing cabinets, tables, CDs and loose strips of film were tangled together. And perhaps worst of all, many of the contents of Appalshop’s archives were covered in mud and debris after last week’s devastating floods in the area left the building submerged in water. Mr Gibson said he was most struck by the “indiscriminate nature with which the water destroyed things”. “I see things that shouldn’t be together,” Mr Gibson said. “There’s a banjo made by a master banjo covered in mud next to one of our early LP releases in 1970.” He added, “We used to have an organized archive.” Flooding has killed more than three dozen people across eastern Kentucky and displaced hundreds more. Many are still without power. Even amid the loss of life and property, members of the Appalachian community also mourned the loss of the region’s cultural heritage. “We will do our best to save what we can,” Mr Gibson said. “It’s obviously emotionally devastating to see such precious materials sitting in the water and whatever chemical combination is in my boots right now.” Mr Gibson and Appalshop archivist Caroline Rubens are working against the clock along with around 50 volunteers. Their goal is to recover what Appalshop estimates are hundreds of thousands of archival pieces from a variety of media: film, photographs, crafts, woodwork, musical instruments, magazines, newspapers, posters and personal family records that have been donated to the group — all depicting the life in the Appalachian Mountains. The water swept through the first floor of the Appalshop building, which has been occupied since 1982. This included the radio station, the theater, the climate-controlled vault for archives and some gallery space used for art exhibitions. When Appalshop was first informed of possible flooding last week, the priority was to make sure staff were safe. They then mobilized to use their resources — social media, their website and the radio station — to get the word out to the Whitesburg community. Now the organization’s top priority is to ensure that the records are rescued quickly, before the mold appears. It is still too early to say how many of the items are salvageable, damaged or destroyed, but the rescue was aided by visiting archivists from nearby colleges and universities in Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and the greater Appalachian region. One piece that is likely lost is the “Sun Quilt,” a stained glass sculpture by local artist Dan Neil Barnes that consists of five interlocking squares that mimic the quilts common to the area. It was located outside the Appalshop building and was a popular gathering spot for visitors. “It was a particular pain,” said Meredith Scalos, Appalshop’s director of communications. “It became an iconic part of the building. We’re not sure if there are pieces of it, but it was glass, so probably not.’ Ms Scalos said Appalshop had a history of documenting floods and climate change and she could “see a future where we tell that story too”. In the wake of the floods, Appalshop wants to prioritize the community, Ms. Skalos said, and has raised tens of thousands of dollars for various self-help groups. The outpouring of support from archivists and volunteers is a true sign of the mountain community, he added. He said there was a similar sense of camaraderie after the tornadoes that killed 74 people in the area in December. “Kentuckians show up for each other, we do,” he said. Ms. Scalos, who grew up in rural Kentucky, said she joined the organization in part to “reconnect with my own heritage.” “Appalshop has always been more of an idea to make people feel like it’s okay to be proud to be Appalachian,” he added. But the building itself has become central to the work the group does throughout the community, hosting art openings, concerts and regular radio programs. Appalshop began as a film workshop in 1969, but has expanded to include photography and literature programs, a theater company, recording studio, and community organizer, all centered around the mission of documenting and celebrating Appalachian culture. Appalshop had just finished their annual summer youth documentary program and were going to screen their films the week of the floods. Steve Ruth, a volunteer DJ at WMMT 88.7 FM, Appalshop’s community radio station, was looking forward to hosting a bluegrass event on July 28, but the floods had other ideas. “Walking into the radio room and seeing the situation will bring you to your knees,” he said. “There was about five feet of water in that space, I’m sure it looked like an aquarium at one point.” Mr Ruth said the Whitesburg community was shocked but was “rising up to the challenge”. He and Appalshop hope to get the radio station back up and running in a temporary location in the city soon. “It’s been a place where people who are interested in the history of the mountain and the history of the area have come together,” he said. “It was a place that’s not a small thing for a small group, people from all walks of life can come and feel good and safe.” While Appalshop’s full recovery could take months and the fate of many of the building’s contents remains unknown, one sign of hope brought Mr. Gibson, the center’s director, some joy: despite more than 20 feet of flooding, a young apple tree remained standing with about 30 apples stuck. “This tree was clearly submerged in the rapids and still has so many apples and leaves on it,” he said. “I didn’t know an apple was so hard to pick.”
