International Checker Hall of Fame facts for kids
The International Checker Hall of Fame (ICHF) was a special place dedicated to the game of checkers. It opened in 1979 in a beautiful Tudor architecture style mansion in Petal, Mississippi. The ICHF was founded by Charles Walker, who was a champion checkers player himself. It held a huge collection of checkers memorabilia, which are items that remind you of events or people.
This amazing hall of fame was home to a statue of a famous checkers player named Marion Tinsley. It also had a library full of checkers books, a museum, and even the two largest checkerboards in the world! The ICHF was a popular spot for many State and International checkers tournaments.
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History of the Hall of Fame
The International Checker Hall of Fame first opened its doors in May 1979. It was officially dedicated during the World Checker Championship held that same year. This special place brought a lot of visitors to the small town of Petal, Mississippi. Many people thought it was the most famous thing about the town while it was open.
Fire and Rebuilding
On September 29, 2007, a fire sadly damaged the ICHF building. More than 20,000 square feet of the museum were burned, and the rest had smoke and water damage. Luckily, no one was hurt in the fire.
Just ten days before the fire, the insurance company had stopped covering the property. This was because of claims from a big storm called Hurricane Katrina. Without insurance, and with rebuilding costs estimated at over two and a half million dollars, the repairs were delayed. However, the ICHF was eventually rebuilt and restocked with its collections. It has continued to host many international checkers events since then. For example, a World Men's Checker Championship was rescheduled for June 8, 2020, because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The repairs to the ICHF were finished in 2009.
What Was Inside the Hall of Fame?
The ICHF was located in a large mansion called Chateau Walker, which was about 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2). This mansion was so unique that it was even featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
World's Largest Checkerboards
One of the most exciting features of the ICHF was the world's largest checkerboard. The mansion was designed with a balcony that looked right over this giant board. Many checkers tournaments, including the World Checker Championship, were played on this huge board. The museum also had the world's second largest checkerboard!
Museum and Memorabilia
Inside the museum, visitors could see a special statue of Marion Tinsley, who is considered one of the greatest checkers players ever. There was also a letter from Tinsley where he gave up his championship title. The museum displayed photos of past and present checkers champions. It also had a teaching facility where people could learn more about the game.
