This postcard collection is designed to supplement McMahon's article, and is available for downloading for a small additional charge. People appreciate public buildings that express the dignity, permanence, and importance of civic institutions, and which harmonize with their surroundings. Warren County, Virginia, for example, recently resisted an effort to move its courthouse out of downtown Front Royal to a greenfield site along a highway outside of town. Instead, Warren County renovated its historic courthouse and built a beautiful, architecturally compatible addition to it. Keeping the courthouse downtown did cost more, but Warren County officials realized that there is a big difference between cost and value.
Downtown is the heart and soul of any community and the cornerstone of civic identity.
A public commitment to staying downtown encourages private businesses to do the same. By rehabilitating and expanding its existing facilities, the county helped to stabilize the downtown, increased the value of nearby properties and uses, and ensured that existing infrastructure would be used more efficiently. On the other hand, if the County had moved its offices out of downtown, private businesses would have followed. Keeping the courthouse in the core helped both the Town and the County.