The historic "old rock building" in Chatsworth, Georgia, burned on September 26, 2009. Fire gutted the building, leaving only the stone structure, with its beautiful old facade, standing. The building was to have been renovated and used as central offices for the Murray County School System. Renovations were underway, though fundraising efforts had been sidetracked by the poor economy. News of the disaster came to Murray Countians as some were battling water from heavy rains and flash flooding from the overflowing Conasauga River and area creeks. The fire occurred earlier in the afternoon. The cause is currently unknown. Read more: Daily Citizen News coverage on the old rock building fire. This article was updated on September 27, 2009. Following is a history of the rock building, written prior to the fire.

Murray County's beloved "old rock building" was on the National Register of Historic Places. The structure, located on Green Road in Chatsworth, Georgia, was built in 1934. The building is significant as the first consolidated high school in Murray County, Georgia. It replaced three small high schools: Lucy Hill, Chatsworth, and Eton High Schools. Interestingly, before the new rock high school was even completed, Chatsworth High School was struck by lightning and burned. Consolidating the schools was a controversial move and caused some squabbling among the various towns, several of which hoped to have the high school in their own community. See photos (recent, pre-renovation).

The rock building is also significant for its architecture and stone masonry. The building is made of grayish brown mountain rock that is native to the area. The stone was blasted from the mountains during the construction of the Chatsworth-Ellijay Highway and was donated to the School Board at the request of V.C. Pickering. Local truckers hauled them to the site for fifty cents a load. Mr. Watkins was the head stone mason on the project. The natural stone and unique facade make it one of the most attractive buildings in the county, and one of only a handful of such stone buildings in North Georgia. The surrounding landscape is set off by the cobalt blue of the Cohutta mountains. These features make the building a favorite landmark, much loved by the local community.

The building was completed as a project of the 1930's Works Progress Administration of the government. According to a 1934 article in Dalton Citizen, over 55 local men were put to work on the project. Workers received one dollar per day and stone masons, two dollars. (The school board later raised this amount and paid hourly wages of up to fifty cents.) V.C. Pickering, a prominent citizen of the county, was instrumental in getting the high school built, obtaining the stone and donating $5,000 and 164 acres of land to the school board; hence, the building's new name, the V.C. Pickering Administrative Center. Other funding came from the state and the Board of Education.

Renovation began on the building in 2005. It was to have become the new headquarters for the central office of the Murray County school system. A group of alumni began a fund to help pay for renovations. The Rock Building Committee was formed to oversee fundraising efforts. Various local organizations, including the Murray County High School Alumni Association and Whitfield-Murray Historical Society, pledged their support. Recent class reunions centered their themes around the old rock building, raising money for the renovation. The building was given a new roof in 2004, during Phase I of the renovation. However, on October 26, 2009, lightning struck the building during a mid-morning thunderstorm. The building smoldered for several hours before breaking out in flames. Though firefighters arrived very quickly, the building was already fully engulfed. The fire devastated the building. Early reports called the building a complete loss. Local citizens are seeking expert opinions to see if the building can be salvaged and restored. If it cannot be restored, the general community sentiment leans toward building a memorial park, pavilion, or monument from some of the stone.

Article updated on Oct. 27, 2009; further updated on November 9, 2009.

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