MOUNT VERNON — Experience Mount Vernon and the Knox County Land Bank have announced that Experience Mount Vernon bought the building at 10 E. Vine St., formerly known as the Ressing Building.
The partnership marks an investment in the continued revitalization of downtown Mount Vernon and provides Experience Mount Vernon with a permanent home in the district it works year-round to strengthen.
Experience Mount Vernon, formerly known as The Heritage Centre Association, Inc., is a downtown-focused nonprofit organization with a mission to foster a vibrant downtown through meaningful community experiences.
The organization achieves this mission by creating a downtown that is active through signature community events, including First Fridays, the Johnny Appleseed Fall Festival, and Winter in Downtown, as well as beautification, public art, business promotion, and other placemaking initiatives.
“The Knox County Land Bank is excited to see 10 E. Vine St. move into the hands of an organization whose mission aligns with improving the future of downtown,” said Tyler Griffith, chair of the Knox County Land Bank Board.
“Experience Mount Vernon has demonstrated a strong commitment to investing in downtown and creating opportunities that bring people to the district for over 30 years. This sale will allow the building to serve an important purpose while contributing to the continued revitalization of East Vine Street.”
Putting down roots
The building will initially serve as a space for Experience Mount Vernon’s day-to-day organizational operations while the organization undertakes renovations to prepare the property for its long-term use.
Once renovations are completed, Experience Mount Vernon will locate its offices on the second floor. The organization’s Board of Directors will determine an appropriate, mission-aligned use for the first-floor space with the goal of contributing to the vitality of downtown.
“Having a permanent home in downtown is an exciting next step for Experience Mount Vernon,” said Victoria Preston, chair of the Experience Mount Vernon Board of Directors.
“Our organization spends every day working to make downtown a place where people want to gather, shop, dine, explore, and experience our community. It is incredibly meaningful for us to now have a permanent presence in the very district we are working to strengthen.
“We are grateful to the Knox County Land Bank for partnering with us to help make this possible.”
“This is more than about acquiring a building,” said Halle Fike, chair-elect of the Experience Mount Vernon Board of Directors. “It gives us an opportunity to put down roots in downtown and think creatively about how this property can contribute to the downtown community.
“We are excited about what the building can become, and we look forward to having our board thoughtfully consider how the first floor space can be used in a way that supports our mission and adds something meaningful to downtown.”
A storied history
The structure at 10 E. Vine St. carries a history that stretches back almost 200 years. Research conducted by Brittany Lin, Kenyon ’26, as part of Experience Mount Vernon’s 2025-2026 Historic Research and Preservation Internship, began to uncover the building’s connections to downtown Mount Vernon’s commercial history.
Built by Levi Ward in 1876, the property has been associated with downtown businesses for generations, including Norton & Kindrink, a millinery and notions business, and Adams Express, a shipping business, both of which operated within the building in the late 19th and early 20th century.
The name Ressing appeared in local business directories in the mid-1960s, when it was an attorney’s office. Most recently, the building was home to three businesses: Tracy & Mills Surveyors, Jackie K’s Antiques, and PageOne Group Printing.
Experience Mount Vernon is excited to build upon that history by bringing new life and purpose to the building while preserving its place in the story of downtown Mount Vernon.
The building will now be home to an organization whose work centers on creating experiences that bring people together and encourage investment in downtown Mount Vernon. Experience Mount Vernon looks forward to beginning the next chapter of the building’s history and continuing its work to foster a vibrant downtown for residents and visitors alike.