이 글은 晉州 矗石樓 연혁에 대한 기왕의 설을 수정 보완하여 재고찰한 것으로, 그 요지는 다음과 같다.
촉석루의 명칭은 본래 촉석루였다. 그러다 고려 말 安震이 진주목사로 부임하여 1322년 중수한 뒤 壯元樓라는 별칭이 생겼다. 기왕의 설에 촉석루가 초기 황학루로 불렸다는 설은 명백한 오류이다.
촉석루 창건자는 1241년부터 1242년 사이 진주목사로 있던 金之岱로 추정되며, 부임하던 1241년부터 체직된 1242년 사이에 공사를 착수하였으나 완공한 시기는 불확실하다. 따라서 1241년에 창건했다는 설은 재고할 필요가 있다.
촉석루 중건·중수의 연혁을 정리하면 다음과 같다. 1322년 진주 통판 安震이 처음 중수하였다. 1380년 왜구의 침입에 의해 소실되었는데, 1413년 진주 목사 權衷 등이 중건하였다. 1491년에는 진주 목사 慶? 등이, 1583년에는 진주 목사 申點 등이 중수하였다. 1593년 진주성 제2차 전투 때 소실되었다. 1606년 경상우병사 金太虛가 중건을 시작하여, 1618년 경상우병사 南以興이 완공하였다. 이후 1693년 경상우병사 禹弼漢, 1724년 경상우병사 李台望, 1810년 경상우병사 元永?, 1886년 경상우병사 鄭騏澤 등이 중수하였다. 1908년 晉陽契에서 중수하였고, 1949년 국보촉석루중수위원회에서 중수하였다. 1950년 6.25전쟁 때 소실되었으며, 1960년 진주고적보존회에서 3차 중건을 하여 오늘에 이르고 있다.
촉석루 부속건물의 연혁을 고증하여 정리하면 다음과 같다. 본루인 촉석루 좌우에 4채의 翼樓가 있었는데, 동쪽에는 涵玉軒(凌虛堂)과 淸心軒이, 서쪽에는 雙淸堂과 觀水軒(臨鏡軒)이 있었다. 쌍청당은 1481년 이전에 창건되었고, 1498년 함옥헌과 청심헌이 창건되었다. 마지막으로 관수헌은 1527년 이전에 진주목사 李元幹이 창건하였다. 1527년부터 1593년까지 70년 동안 익루 4채가 본루 좌우에 새의 날개처럼 펼쳐져 있어 그 규모와 경관의 아름다움이 국내에서 단연 최고였다. 그러다 1593년 진주성 제2차 전투 때 본루인 촉석루와 함께 모두 소실되었다. 1604년 경상우병사 李守一이 진주성을 축조할 적에 동쪽 청심헌을 먼저 중건하였다. 그리고 1618년 경상우병사 남이흥이 촉석루를 완공할 적에 동쪽 함옥헌도 중건하였다. 그렇지만 서쪽 익루인 관수헌과 쌍청당은 임란 이후 중건되지 못하였다.
1623년 청심헌이 화재로 소실되어, 1624년 경상우병사 申景裕가 곧바로 중건하였다. 그리고 1665년부터 1666년 사이에 경상우병사 李俊漢이 함옥헌을 중수하였다. 1757년 이전에 청심헌이 허물어졌는데 중건하지 못하여 함옥헌만 남게 되었다. 1887년 경상우병사 정기택이 함옥헌을 중수하였다. 그리고 1907년 왜인들에 의해 이 함옥헌도 훼철되었다.
This study revised, supplemented, and reconsidered the old views of history of Chokseokru in Jinju. The findings were summarized as follows:Chokseokru was its original name, and it earned a nickname Jangwonru after the repair project of 1322 by Ahn Jin, the newly appointed Jinju Moksa at the end of Goryeo. One of the old views argued that it was initially called Hwanghakru(Jangwonru), but its argument is apparently wrong.
It was Kim Ji-dae that founded Chokseokru during his service as Jinju Moksa in 1241~2. He started the construction between 1241 when he was appointed and 1242 when he left the office, but it is not clear when the construction was completed. It is thus needed to reconsider the view maintaining that Chokseokru was founded in 1241. Other views maintaining that it was founded by Kim Jung-gwang, Kim Gwang-jae or Kim Jun do not even need reargument due to the lack of precise historical investigation.
The timeline of its reconstruction and repair was as follows: Ahn Jin, who was Jinju Tongpan, did the first repair work on it in 1322; it was destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasion in 1380; it was reconstructed by Gwon Chung, who was Jinju Moksa, and others in 1413; it was repaired by Gyeong Im, who was Jinju Moksa, in 1491 and by Shin Jeom, who was also Jinju Moksa, in 1583; it was destroyed by fire during the Second Battle of Jinju Fortress in 1593; Kim Tae-heo, who was Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, began its reconstruction in 1606, and Nam Yi-heung, who was also Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, completed it in 1618; it was later repaired again by Woo Pil-han, who was Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, in 1693, Lee Tae-mang, who was Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, in 1724, Won Yeong-ju, who was Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, in 1810, and Jeong Gi-taek, who was Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, in 1886; it was also repaired by Jinyanggye in 1908 and the Repair Committee of National Treasure Chokseokru in 1949; it was destroyed by fire again in 1950 during the Korean War; and the Jinju Conservation Society of Historical Remains completed its reconstruction for the third time in 1960, since when it has remained the same.
The history of its attached buildings was also examined through historical investigation. The results were as follows: there are four buildings of Ikru on the right and left side of the main building Chokseokru. There stand Hamokheon(Neungheodang) and Cheongshimheon in the east direction and Sangcheongdang and Gwansuheon(Yimgyeongheon) in the west direction. Sangcheongdang was founded before 1481; Hamokheon and Cheongshimheon in 1498; and Gwansuheon by Lee Won-gan, who was Jinju Moksa, before 1527. The four buildings of Ikru spread like a pair of bird wings on the right and left side of Chokseokru for 70 years from 1527 to 1593, claiming supremacy in size and beautiful scenery in the nation. They were, however, all destroyed by fire along with Chokseokru during the Second Battle of Jinju Fortress in 1593. Building the Jinju Fortress, Lee Su-il, who was Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, first reconstructed Cheongshimheon in the east direction in 1604. Completing the reconstruction of Chokseokru, Nam Yi-heung, who was Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, reconstructed Hamokheon in the east direction in 1618. Contrary to them, the ones in the west direction, Gwansuheon and Sangcheongdang, were not reconstructed after the Japanese Invasion of Joseon in 1592.
Cheongshimheon was destroyed by fire in 1623 and then reconstructed by Shin Gyeong-yu, who was Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, in 1624. Hamokheon was repaired by Lee Jun-han, who was Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, between 1665 and 1666. Cheongshimheon collapsed before 1757 and was not reconstructed later, which made Hamokheon the only Ikru building standing there. Hamokheon was repaired by Jeong Gi-taek, who was Gyeongsangwoobyeongsa, in 1887. The ruling Japanese abolished and disposed of even Hamokheon in 1907, which left no Ikru building there.