Middlesboro, KY
Greetings from Middlesboro, Kentucky aka “The Crater City.” This is our second mural in the state of Kentucky after painting in Louisville in 2018.
Middlesboro Main Street reached out in October 2019 after receiving a grant to help revitalize their downtown. The concept of our postcard murals was exactly what they were envisioning for the project. We had no idea we would end up in a global pandemic which delayed this project amongst others. A year later, we packed our N95 masks and got on a plane to finally get the mural done. This was one of the smallest cities we planned to work in. However, we also decided to paint our largest wall to date here! Our canvas was about 106’ ft wide x 30’ ft tall. As a result, we had to call in some local help from our Kentucky muralist friends (OSRS) who assisted on the Louisville and Springfield walls.
Special thanks to all the community members who made this project possible. Sponsors included CEDIK, The Tamer Family, The City of Middlesboro Kentucky Street Department, Green Construction, Jim Brown Supply, Sharlene Shackleford & Econo Lodge Middlesboro. We also appreciate the locals who attended the public forums to suggest the imagery included in the mural.
Middlesboro is geographically located on the border of 3 states that include Kentucky, Tennessee & Virginia. A unique characteristic is that the city is located in the middle of a meteor crater that is approximately 3 miles wide from about 300 million years ago. Therefore, when you look around you are within a bowl and see a mountain landscape surrounding the city 360 degrees. You can get an amazing view of the city from the Pinnacle overlook at Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. As a result, we had to include an image of the iconic fog rolling in within the first few letters. We went up to the Pinnacle just after sunrise to experience the fog and back at sunset to get a clear view of the valley.
The Middlesboro Yellow Jackets is a local high school football team. In the mid 20th century, Greg Page played on the team as a standout player. He went on to become one of the first African American athletes to earn a football scholarship to an SEC school at the University of Kentucky. Unfortunately, his dreams were cut short in a freak accident during practice which led to his untimely death at a young age. He was a role model for many black athletes and there’s even a road named after him in Middlesboro called “Greg Page Way.”
Locals thought it was funny how we closely placed the two schools together staring at each other since they are huge rivals in Middlesboro.
On the top of the 'M’ you’ll notice a World War II P-38 fighter plane named “Glacier Girl.” A Middlesboro entrepreneur helped fund the excavation of the plane after being buried beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet (268ft) for over 50 years! The aircraft was transported (containing almost all original parts) to Middlesboro in 1992 to be restored to flying condition. It was the talk of the town throughout the 90’s. Rumor has it that the costs were upwards of $115k+ to fly the restored plane due to insurance requirements!
Another interesting fact is the Middlesboro is home to the oldest continuously played golf course in the United States. It’s located at the Middlesboro Country Club is which happens to be at center of the original meteor impact site. Within the '“L” we also included a nod to the coal mining industry history that helped create the city. For those into pop culture, Middlesboro was also the home to the actor Lee Majors of the Six Million Dollar Man TV series. To be honest, the show was before our time and as you can see, he never made it into our mural.
Once again, thank you to the city for supporting our national mural project. We hope that you’ll take a quick detour on your future road trip travels to check out Middlesboro, Kentucky.
Letter Guide:
M — Pinnacle Overlook in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (Glacier Girl P-38F-1-LO Lightning)
I — Pinnacle Overlook in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (cont.)
D — Pinnacle Overlook in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (cont.)
D — Middlesboro Country Club Crest & Golf Course
L — Tribute to Coal Mining Industry History
E — Lincoln Memorial University, Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College, Cats
S — Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College (cont.), Bees
B — Alexander Arthur Museum
O — Alexander Arthur Museum (cont.)
R — Gateway to the West - Daniel Boone Leading the Settlers Through the Cumberland Gap, 1775
O — Gateway to the West - Daniel Boone Leading the Settlers Through the Cumberland Gap, 1775 (cont.)
Background — Middlesboro “Crater” Landscape
Press:
WYMT Mountain News (CBS) - Finishing Touches Added to Mural in Downtown Middlesboro
Middlesboro News - Artists Work With Locals to Complete Downtown Mural
Year: 2020
Mural Size: 30'H x 106'W
Location: 19th St & W Cumberland Ave. Middlesboro, KY 40965