Valley Flooring

In 2003, Harvey Zook and his father founded Valley Flooring, an Amish business tucked away in the farmlands northeast of Bladensburg. Valley Flooring produces high-end hardwood flooring that is primarily sold outside of Knox County. In 2009, Harvey bought the company from his father and in 2014 he left the Amish, subsequently losing all of his…

Valley Flooring

The Valley Flooring office and production center is not a place one would stumble upon. Located on the side of the unfrequented Kerr Road, the barn-red building that makes up Valley Flooring fits nicely into the landscape of the area. The floor, ceiling, and walls of Harvey’s office are all made of hardwood. Amish buggies…

Interchurch Social Services Food Pantry

Interchurch Social Services has established a prominent network in central Ohio with four locations in Knox County, one of which is conveniently located in downtown Mount Vernon. The mission of the nonprofit is to provide meals and other necessities for families going through times of hardship. Interchurch Social Services extends beyond supplying resources to those in…

Interchurch Social Services Food Pantry

Interchurch Social Services in Mount Vernon is run by native Joy Harris, who attended Mount Vernon High School and studied at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio before beginning a career in social services. Mrs. Harris worked for Big Brothers & Big Sisters in Mount Vernon, where she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of poverty on…

Knox County Jail

Situated on Upper Gilchrist Road, just off of the commercial strip on Coshocton Avenue, sits the Knox County Jail. The jail was previously located near the Mount Vernon Public Square but was relocated for a variety of reasons, including necessity for space and modern facilities. While the jail may not affect every Knox County resident’s daily life,…

Knox County Jail

Before 2002, the Knox County Jail sat in the public square, an old two-story building with metal bars and out-of-date surveillance technology. Now at 11540 Upper Gilchrist Road there is a new jail, complete with improved dormitories and an impressive central control system. With the modern technology in place, processes like arraignments can take place over video…

Knox County Learning Center

The Knox County Learning Center offers an alternative education for students who have been asked to leave their original schools for academic or disciplinary reasons. They take online courses for credit recovery, assisted by advisors and volunteer tutors who provide a place for students who would otherwise likely drop out of school without receiving a…

Knox County Learning Center

The Knox County Learning Center may be considered a “second chance,” an opportunity for students who were unsuccessful in a traditional setting to regain confidence and motivation through an alternative approach. One-on-one tutoring ensures that students stay on track and are completely immersed in the given material, while at the same time maintaining appropriate behavior….

Woodward Opera House

The Woodward Opera House is America’s oldest unrestored theater. It has played host to countless famous artists, including the Snowden Family Band, a musical group native to Knox County, as well as Dan Emmett, known for the song “I Wish I Was in Dixie,” who gave his last performance on the Woodward’s historic stage. In…

Woodward Opera House

For centuries, the Woodward Opera House has acted as the place for the arts in Mount Vernon, and still does today. It serves as a venue for a variety of performances including works by MTVarts as well as the living history Chautauqua shows put on by the group Elixir. Through these types of performances, the…