Comments on: The Old Courthouse downtown https://habitablezone.com/2012/07/29/the-old-courthouse-downtown/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:03:37 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: FrankC https://habitablezone.com/2012/07/29/the-old-courthouse-downtown/#comment-16834 FrankC Tue, 31 Jul 2012 02:55:04 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=19092#comment-16834 I love the smell of libraries, which is essentially the smell of books wherever they reside. When I was about ten I helped get a very old, fairly large, and well built (in the fashion you described for the courthouse), school ready for the upcoming year. I mostly carried stacks of books, and I still recall the smell. New or old they all smell great. Interesting mention of the cheap labor. Old schools built in that period are also impressive (even in the Southeast). Most of the old wonders of the world were built with slave or cheap labor. These days wonders are only built with great wealth and they don't usually include public buildings in small to medium cities and certainly not schools. Most newer schools I see are crappy looking structures not intended to last for centuries. I love the smell of libraries, which is essentially the smell of books wherever they reside.

When I was about ten I helped get a very old, fairly large, and well built (in the fashion you described for the courthouse), school ready for the upcoming year. I mostly carried stacks of books, and I still recall the smell. New or old they all smell great.

Interesting mention of the cheap labor. Old schools built in that period are also impressive (even in the Southeast).

Most of the old wonders of the world were built with slave or cheap labor. These days wonders are only built with great wealth and they don’t usually include public buildings in small to medium cities and certainly not schools. Most newer schools I see are crappy looking structures not intended to last for centuries.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2012/07/29/the-old-courthouse-downtown/#comment-16829 ER Tue, 31 Jul 2012 02:04:25 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=19092#comment-16829 They were always kept spotless, and there was a smell of fine wooden pews and polished wood, and books, many books. Even if you don't share the reverence that's practiced there, you can sense it and respect it. They were always kept spotless, and there was a smell of fine wooden pews and polished wood, and books, many books. Even if you don’t share the reverence that’s practiced there, you can sense it and respect it.

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2012/07/29/the-old-courthouse-downtown/#comment-16821 Jody Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:42:28 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=19092#comment-16821 One of my favorite daydreams was that I purchased the church I went to as a child and later got married in. <a href="http://www.cardcow.com/257159/first-baptist-church-cortland-new-york/" rel="nofollow">~~~ I wanted to transform it into my house~~~</a> One of my favorite daydreams was that I purchased the church I went to as a child and later got married in. ~~~ I wanted to transform it into my house~~~

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