Our Story

HImler House sits on a hill in Beauty, KY, overlooking Route 40 and Buck Creek Road.  The waters of the Buck Creek flow down in front of the hill, in the area that   once was known as Himlerville.  This was a Coal Camp established by Martin Himler and he built his house to overlook the bustling community.  Mr. Himler, was a Magyar (Hungarian) immigrant, who brought his vision of a new and innovative coal mine company, to the rich coal laden hills of Eastern KY. 
 

Himler Coal Company’s unique corporate model made the miners not only mine workers, but owners of the mine via shares of Himler Coal Company stock owned by all the Hungarian miners.

 

Himler was a strong American patriot, and he required all Himler Coal Company employees to become American citizens.

 

Himler House played an important role in the lives of Martin County residents and in the lives of guests who were invited to Himler House. Martin Himler hosted county-wide Christmas and Independence Day parties at Himler House, there were daily evening activities for miners at Himler House, and an exiled  Hungarian government official took refuge at Himler House.

 

Himler House is important not only as the home of an Appalachian Hungarian immigrant entrepreneur, but also as the home of an Office of Strategic Services officer who was responsible for the location, arrest, and holding of more than 300 Nazi war criminals and for the interrogation of more than 40 of these criminals. Colonel Martin Himler posthumously received the Congressional Gold Medal on October 21, 2021, in recognition of his World War II service.

The Martin County Historical and Genealogical Society envisions the restored Martin Himler home to become a center for Magyar (Hungarian) immigrant culture and Kentucky coal mining history.  The Society hopes to gain national landmark designation for the Himler home and believes that the restoration and preservation of the historic sites at Himlerville/Beauty, Kentucky, will bring tourism, entrepreneurial opportunities, and economic growth to Martin County and surrounding counties.