Magoffin County is steeped in the history of this country for over 150 years. Many of America's…read morefamilies traveled to or through this area. Forty years ago, several members of the Magoffin County community started marking cemeteries, many which have been abandoned. This developed into honoring founding families of this area. Eventually, the Magoffin County Historical Society was born. Their library is has an extensive collection of books with the information of local families. To help with expenses, the society began compiling and selling books with the genealogies of local surnames, as well as transcriptions of census records, marriage records, and cemeteries. These publications are available on the website. At one time in the Historical Society's history they had over 1,000 members. Today, Dorothy Shepherd mans the helm as the lead researcher. She is there most days, but if you plan a trip, it would be best to call her and set up an appointment. If you are researching surnames in eastern Kentucky, a stop at the Magoffin County Historical Society is a must.

This place is definitely worth checking out! Had no clue this place existed until we passed by it…read morewhile visiting Williamson. The history of the Coal House is very unique! There is a nice little gift shop inside as well.

Beautiful building. Modern and well equipped. If you don't see what you want just ask because…read morethey have everything. We are very proud of our library.

This obelisk along US-23 / US-460 points out a Civil War battle that took place here. As a border…read morestate. quite a few groups of Union and Confederate soldiers passed through the area. This is one of those conflicts. The obelisk is about ten feet tall and has engravings on the front and back. There are also two caption markers but they have faded to the point of illegibility. The front of the monument reads, "Here, on Nov. 8, 1861, 300 men from Companies A & C, 5th Kentucky Infantry, C.S.A. and Companies B, C, & D, 1st Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles, C.S.A., commanded by Captain Andrew J. May, fought a delaying action against four Federal regiments; the 2nd Ohio Infantry, the 21st Ohio Infantry, the 59th Ohio Infantry, the 16th Kentucky Infantry, and a section of Battery D, 1st Ohio Light Artillery, commanded by General William "Bull" Nelson." And on the reverse, "Mustered into service just two weeks earlier and armed only with shotguns and squirrel rifles, May's Confederate mountaineers were outnumbered eight to one. Nevertheless, they detained Nelson's progress long enough to allow Colonel John S. Williams to vacate Piketon (Pikeville) and move the main body of Confederate troops to Pound Gap. Union losses were eight killed and twenty-four wounded. Confederate losses were ten killed and fifteen wounded." [Review 628 of 2025 - 319 in Kentucky - 24189 overall]

Would be a great history moment, but some of the plaques have weathered to the point they are…read moreunreadable. Hopefully state of Kentucky will fix it? Go to the nearby middle creek park for good civil war history!

They have free events and classes scheduled! It's fun and a great way to make new friends!…read more Staff is very helpful and friendly!

This library saved my life on an online class, the monday after an assignment was due. Apparently,…read moreI had forgotten to submit an assignment the night before and I traveled from Lexington, KY to here on business. I was able to jump on a computer and from my email, download the assignment and upload it to the online university's assignment page. It was worth 50 points! Not like I could not have waited until this Friday, but sooner the better. Here, they will also ask to see an identification and will keep records of websites you visit (or so they claim to do). Make sure to stay off any questionable websites not related to studying or family friendly. That is great that a library looks out for that kind of stuff. It is also located next to the Brookshire Inn and Suites and in this case, it is VERY useful. Check out my review on that for why.

We were staying in the area and someone told us about this battlefield. So we took a short drive…read moreout from Prestonsburg to see it. It is a very small area off the side of the road. There are interpretative signs that give the details of the battle. The Battle of Middle Creek was an engagement fought January 10, 1862, in Eastern Kentucky during the American Civil War. The battle, along with the Battle of Mill Springs, positioned the Union armies to invade Middle Tennessee. There are also small paths that you can take and walk out onto the field.

Well preserved piece of ground but beware the total battlefield is not part of this area. My own gr…read moregr gr grandfather and three of his sons, including my gr gr grandfather fought here with the 5th Kentucky CSA.

The marker is in front of the courthouse and jail, points out some historic events that took place…read more It reads, "Courthouse erected 1888-89 by McDonald Bros.; later renovated 1932-33. Here was scene of Hatfield clan trials for murders of Tolbert, Randolph, Jr., Pharmer, Alifair, and Calvin McCoy. The defendants lodged in adjacent jail; found guilty and sentenced to life in prison except Ellison Mounts, hanged February 18, 1890. Courthouse and jail part of Hatfield-McCoy Feud Historic Dist." It is marker number 1866 and it was erected in 1990 by the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Department of Highways. The McDonald Brothers of Louisville designed the courthouse in a restrained Classical Revival style, using buff brick, a symmetrical front, and a prominent square tower on the west side that carried a clock and a small cupola. The 1932 to 1933 renovation, which the marker mentions only briefly, was a substantial architectural intervention. The project added new space, updated the structure, and altered some of the exterior massing, but it preserved the tower and the essential Classical Revival character. That renovation also helped the building remain in active use well into the twentieth century, even after Pikeville built newer judicial facilities nearby. [Review 73 of 2026 - 335 in Kentucky - 25263 overall]

The historic Floyd County Courthouse in Prestonsburg was built in 1950 to replace an earlier…read morecourthouse that had stood on the same downtown site. It was designed in a restrained mid‑century interpretation of Classical Revival civic architecture, using pale brick, stone trim, and a symmetrical front elevation that reflected the courthouse traditions of the era. The building served as the center of county government for decades, housing the main courtroom, county offices, and record‑keeping functions. When the modern Floyd County Justice Center opened nearby, most judicial activity moved out, but the 1950 courthouse remained an important public building and a long‑standing landmark anchoring Prestonsburg's courthouse square. [Review 70 of 2026 - 332 in Kentucky - 25260 overall] [Note: This was a review of the historic Floyd County Courthouse but the Yelp machine renamed it to Floyd County Sheriff's.]