A new event space has opened downtown in a building that traces its history to one of Hopkinsville’s most successful merchants of the 19th century.
Studio 3 at Ninth and Virginia streets, in the Moayon Building, is a partnership of three women — Angie Gibbs, Carolyn Altman and Tina Rogers. They launched the business on May 1 to provide a large downtown rental space for parties and special events. It’s available for birthday celebrations, showers and dinner receptions.
“It has an industrial feel, but it’s also homey,” Gibbs said. “The lighting is beautiful.”
Most recently, the space occupied by Studio 3 was an art gallery and yoga studio. The Moayon Building, owned by Black Patch Properties, also houses an apartment and the law office of Allison Mohon.
The building is named for the family of John Moayon.
“Meacham’s History of Christian County, Kentucky,” published in 1930, includes this biographical note: “John Moayon and his wife, Hannah, came to America from Holland, and located in Hopkinsville in 1865. Mr. Moayon opened a dry goods and clothing store, and began to make money from the start. He invested wisely, and it is said of him that he never made a bad trade. He adopted as his slogan ‘Honest John, the Farmer’s Friend,’ and catered largely to the trade of the farmers. He amassed a large estate, and died in 1898.”
The Moayon family also owned a residence on Ninth Street. The Clayton building on Ninth between Main and Virginia was their home, said Alissa Keller, executive director of the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville and Christian County.
Studio 3 has a Facebook page, and anyone interested in rental information should contact the owners through the page.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
