Phelps High School’s Vocational Programs 9th tiny house is a love letter to Dolly Parton—and a masterclass in student craftsmanship
Guiding the chorus is veteran carpentry instructor Don Page, the program’s steady hand since Build #1. Page has shepherded nine classes of Phelps Vocational students through every cut, screw, and inspection, turning a single $15 k grant into a self-sustaining pipeline of talent and proving year after year that Appalachian ingenuity starts in the school shop.
A House That Sings Kentucky Pride
Walk up to the front porch of the newest Phelps Vocational School, built and you’re greeted by a life-size Dolly Parton stand-up—smiling, rhinestones and all. Step inside, and the lyrics “pour myself a cup of ambition” echo from the kitchen décor. This 331-square-foot show-stopper (nicknamed “Good Golly Miss Dolly”) is the ninth tiny home produced through the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative’s Building It Forward grant program, where an initial $15,000 seed investment lets students design, construct, and ultimately sell a fully-livable home. Every dollar of the eventual $50,000 plus sale price will fund Home #10.
Built by Students, Built to Last
| Key Numbers | Details |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 8.5′ × 30′ trailer, triple 7,000 lb axles (8-lug wheels) |
| Total Area | 243 sf main floor + 88 sf loft = 331 sf |
| Insulation | R-13 walls, R-19 roof, 3″ foam board under Advantech sub-floor |
| Structure | 2 × 4 walls & 2 × 6 rafters, 16″ OC; sheathed in ½″ OSB & house-wrap |
| Exterior | Cedar-shake vinyl & PVC trim, white metal roof, stained fiberglass door |
| Systems | 200-amp service, LED lighting, Durastar mini-split HVAC |
| Kitchen & Bath | Lowes custom cabinets, True Induction cooktop, Hisense counter-depth fridge, one-piece shower, Equator W/D, 28 gal. AO Smith WH |
From framing to finish trim, every nail was set by Phelps carpentry students, many of whom appear in the build-journal photos, drills and circular saws in hand. The project demands math, budgeting, electrical wiring, plumbing, finish carpentry, … and a healthy dose of teamwork they’ll carry to the job site after graduation.
The Dolly Details
- Pastel “Cup of Ambition” mugs & kettle greet you on the marble-look SmartCore Pro floor.
- A framed portrait of Dolly hangs above the leather couch.
- The walls, tongue-and-groove pine, stained a warm walnut, echo the front-porch roots of Dolly’s Tennessee cabin.
- And yes, that Dolly standee stays with the house.
Why Dolly?
“She’s Appalachia’s ultimate example of giving back,” says senior builder Ethan Hatfield. “That’s what we’re doing using one house to fund the next for younger students.”
Paying It Forward
Since 2016, Building It Forward has seeded more than 40 tiny homes across KVEC’s member districts. Each sale recycles the funds, turning vocational classrooms into self-sustaining micro-enterprises. Graduates leave with a variety of credentials, a professional portfolio, and, thanks to partnerships with local employers, some students leave with job offers that keep talent in the mountains.
Want to See (or Own) It?!
- Purchase Inquiries: Danny Vance – 606-765-9743
- Tiny House Builder Sale Link: https://www.tinyhomebuilders.com/tiny-house-marketplace/kvec-phelps-new-30ft-thow
- View all the current or previous tiny homes here: https://kvec.theholler.org/tinyhomes/
Scroll through the photo gallery below to see the build from bare trailer to finished gem!
