When Charlie Bundy purchased the Pike Activities Building in downtown Troy from the Pike County Commission on March 28, 2016, he had no idea what he would do with rock structure.

Three years later and counting, Bundy is still not sure of his plans for the iconic building.

However, the one thing that he does know is that it was and is important that the “the Rock Building” be preserved.

A grassroots group worked for more than a year to raise the funds to “save the Rock” but were not successful in achieving its goal. The Pike County Commission took bids for the building and Bundy was awarded the bid for the sum of $60,000.

Those who had contributed to the fundraising efforts and many others around the county breathed a sigh of relief that Bundy purchased and planned to save the building that had been constructed with rocks collected by Pike County residents. The rocks were unearthed on farms and homesteads, hauled to the building site and donated to the building of a center that would be the hub of activities for all residents of Pike County.

The building, a Works Progress Administration, project of the 1940s, was the site for everything from paying taxes to getting childhood vaccinations to 4-H and political rallies.

“I know for sure that I went to the Rock Building to get my shots ,” Bundy said, with a smile. “But the Pike Activities Building is important to Pike County and I didn’t want to see it torn down. There’s a lot of history to that building.”

Bundy said in 1934, a used car lot was located on the property.

“Somehow it caught fire and seven other businesses in that area burned, too,” he said. “The Rock Building came after that.”

The WPA program was established in 1935. Just when construction of the Rock Building is uncertain, probably around 1940.

“From what I understand, people donated the rocks to build the Pike Activities Building and the rocks came from all over the county,” Bundy said.

Knowing the history of the building and the uniqueness of it, Bundy believed it was worth saving.

“Right now, we’ve put a roof on the building to protect it,” Bundy said. “When we got in there, we found steel beams were used in the construction of the building and that made putting the roof on an easier job. The next thing will be to put in new windows and they will be the more updated kind. There’s still a lot to do.”

And, while that’s being done, Bundy will have time to decide what use he will find for the building. And, the many who have affection for the Rock Building will continue to breathe a little easier knowing the Rock is in good hands.