This must be the town where the local factory makes that stuff I ordered from Amazon. The population is about 12,000 souls.

Holy Jeezum Crow:

It’s rare we start out with something so remarkable.

Cinematreasures: “An early example of adaptive reuse of an existing structure, the Heart Theatre was built inside what had formerly been a garage and opened in 1941.”

Nice little Second-Empire courthouse:

It’s now “a museum packed with emotion.”

I’ll allow it.

Why? This is all the bad ideas. Oversized string course, inflated classical details. Bad brick choice in hue and application. Repurposed sign.

But it’s better than most of the “updates” done in the 70s. It allows the original building some of its inherent class.

Really! Not too much, though.

Sometimes you think they were just trying to inflate the number of buildings downtown.

Absolutely rote small-town office block. Every town of a certain size had one.

If they’re lucky, it’s in condition like this.

Annnnd, well, yes, absolutely rote small-town . . . newspaper building? Police department? Radio or TV station?

Where pink and blue meet to form . . . Brown!

OUMB.

I’d say . . . 1948? 1951?

Nice crisp thing, when you understand the era and the style. Good thing it hasn’t been renovated into a -

Oh

Seventies facadomy to institute a sense of HIP FUN to downtown.

They look pathetic when they’re empty and done.

I get the sense of a Masonic hall or an IOOF joint, with its top shaved off.

The most standard Federal style bank ever. And it’s still better than 90% of the OUMBs.

Now with art and an awning! Changes everything.

That damned sheet metal. That damned awning.

Baseball cards. I’m guessing it was once home to something more diverse and useful that paid a higher rent.

Nice little original sign, reminding you what these places looked like, once.

Not all, but many. So very many.

One more. It’s the OUMB du jour . . .

But in a way, it’s a small town Guggenheim.