Pilot residents are hosting a music festival today, Sept. 25, to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Pilot School and Community Center and to raise money to continue the preservation of the building.
The festival will feature an afternoon of gospel music from Dale Buckner and Voices of Faith today at the historic center from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $5 with ages 12 and under admitted free. The event also offers concessions (hot dogs, barbecue, and drinks), corn hole, cakes, and prizes for auction and a 50/50 raffle.
Pilot School was built in 1921 and served as an elementary school for over 40 years. Four such schools were built in Montgomery County, but Pilot is the only one still standing. When the county built a new school in the 1960s, local residents bought the building and donated it to serve as a community center.
Since then, locals have used the Pilot Community Center for their family reunions, wedding receptions, chicken fries, pancake suppers, and little-league games. The landmark building has qualified to be placed on the Virginia and National Registers of Historic Places.
Local residents are raising the money to pay for a new metal roof and much-needed repairs and upgrades to the kitchen, bathrooms, and meeting rooms, all while preserving the historical integrity of the structure.
The Pilot Community Center is a certified 501(c)3 non-profit charity, and donations will help preserve local history and culture in rural Appalachia. The school and community center is located at 4449 Brush Creek Rd., Pilot, Va. 24149.