Field Notes

We were only in Richmond long enough to catch a hotel room for the night and to say hello to some new people the next morning. While visiting I did my best to see the sights and catch a few other quick observations. Waking up to the Virginia State Capitol...

Hillsville is home of the handsome Carroll County Court House with an octagonal cupola and pedimented front. Set on a hill it further stands out from its surrounds. These two and three story buildings create a nice sense of enclosure and a building wall. Hillsville is a Preserve America community....

During our visit in February 2015, it was on a typically frigid Michigan mid-winter day. The temperatures were low and the wind was blowing. Still we enjoyed visiting this compact multi-block downtown. As neighboring Ann Arbor has boomed, many companies have located in Saline benefiting from close proximity to Ann...

Newberry Opera House has a prominent central location, owing to their important social and civic function. The clock tower helps to make the main entrance stand out, as does the prominent canopy over the entrance. The Ritz Theatre is a second performing arts venue and home of the Newberry Community...

The Westside Provisions District provided a fun walkable area with several businesses to enjoy. Jeni's Ice Creams was one of our favorite ice cream shops by far. The unique flavors like Bangkok Peanut made it well worth the wait. Efforts at place branding were reflected in attractive circular brass plaques,...

Berea, Kentucky is home to the renowned Berea College. Founded in 1855 as a utopian experiment, Berea College was the South's first interracial and coeducational college. Charging no tuition, Berea admits promising Appalachian students with limited economic resources. All students work in campus jobs, such as serving in the college's...

Asheville was named for Samuel Ashe (1725-1813), the first speaker of the North Carolina SEnate and governor from 1795 to 1798. The village was incorporated by the General Assembly in 1797, and included part of a 200-acre land grant the state awarded to a prominent settler named John Burton in...

Over the Rhine has been undergoing an impressive revitalization process for many years now. The concentration of multi-story buildings to support housing, and ground floor commercial spaces support a growing mix of businesses. This outdoor market pavilion supports local farmers and community activities. The transparent roof peak is particularly ingenious...

We only had a few minutes while driving through to see Elizabethtown, Kentucky. There was enough there to take a few photos and quick notes about what we saw. A prominent location had an interesting metal armature with life-size illustrations of different people who were representative of different themes such...

Masonic Building, 317 Main Street This three-story, seven-bay building was built around 1870 to serve as a Masonic Hall with first floor retail. The building has housed a bank, a boot and shoe store, a haberdashery (men's clothes), a jeweler, a pharmacy, and a business college. The Masonic Hall is...