The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-29

EH Gated to the county's use.
5Tgl The county may well be
proud. for the new building
is unique among structures of its kind.
II embodies tho best and most modern
ideas on convenience and utility, gath
cred by Harvey Hiestand, the archi-
tect, from all over the United States,
and put into a form which carries the
best traditions of beauty and nobility
from the glory of the early Greeks.
straight through the loneliness OF the
Italy of the renaissance, to an Amerl-
can community building of the Twen-
tieth century, sitting proudly conscious
OF its own worth among American elm
and locust trees in an Ohio county
seat.
Beautiful In 200 Years
A hundred years from now, or two
hundred, IL time lets it stand that
long, the new courthouse will be as
beautiful to the citizens eyes as 1t Is
today, In contrast to the usual history
of Americas public buildings which
look freakish in twenty years, comic
in thirty, and are the secret shame OF
the community from that time on until
they are replaced by another. And
the reason Is that the architect work
ed by the timeless principles OF sim
plicity, beauty, usefulness and nobility.
Yet 1t is safe to say that Preble
county does not know exactly why
the new courthouse is pleasing, and IT
is safe to say further that had the
question of the building been put TO
a referendum, that she would never
have chosen this particular style OF
courthouse. Nor would anyone not
reasons for the beauty Of the build
ing. although they feel 1t is beautiful.
Harvey Hiestand, the architect, eau
truly say 1t is his conception.
Heistand Is a believer in the effect
of setting upon a work Of art. You
can make the most beautiful thing on
earth look ugly II you put 1t In false
or inappropriate setting" he says. So
when he began work, the first thing
he did was to plot out the positions OF
the trees. already standing.
Effect Of Tree Considered
The big elm which gives SO much
of the effect In the picture shown
herewith was carefully considered, and
the whole plan Of the building was
shifted back and forth until way
was found to save the smaller tree
which stands within the brick and
stone belvedere at the east end OF the
court house.
Look at the picture The building
would not look half SO lovely and COM
plete without the tiny evergreens
which thrust up their pointed irregular
tops, or the larger trees in front, or
the flowing lines Of the lawn, or the
stone belvederes which extend to each
end Of the court house at its base. All
this was planned three years ago, and
worked and sketched in the mind Of
the architect, until he got the final ef-
feet.
Those little evergreens, by the
way said Hiestand, "have distinct
mission Of their own, aside from being
distinctly reminiscent Of the palace in
Italy. Their irregular outline, pro-
jecting into the severe horizontal
lines made by the terrace and build
ing, break up the flat effect, and help
produce symmetry. warmth and unity
in the whole. People laughed at me,
saying the only place they ever saw
evergreens was in church yard, but
! think they're convinced now.
People Warming Up
People are beginning to use the
benches and the walk In front Of the
building, and to sit on the ratings of
warm evenings, and the band has
found an ideal bandstand, in the west
ern belvedere," says Hiestand.
That's what 1t was made for. Eaton
Is a country town. I kept the trees
partly because it Is foolishness for a
lovely rural community to try to ape
its city neighbors. 1t Is much better
frankly to emphasize its own good
points. Trees generally are too beau
tiful not to be made use Of when one
can"
Hiestand, although he has been the
chief designer of the Kentucky state
capital, the McAlpin hotel in New
York, and the architect Of the church
of the Holy Rosary in Columbus,
works which brought him much more
fame in the world, is frankly proud
of the building he has made for the
town and county in which he was
born and brought UP.
Modern ConvenIences
II tried" he said. ito embody the
utmost in modern conveniences and
utility in a building which should re-
Nv upon eternal qualities for its
charm and should be the evolution of
all the world has learned in building
worthily instead of following the fash
ion Of the moment in public buildings.
THE courthouse is an attempt on
my part to put all that the Italians
and Greeks taught us in architecture,
ADAPTED to American everyday usage.
want it to look better 100 years from
now than it does now. l chose for
nv particular model an Italian palace
of the 18th century, because that is
form of architecture which natur-
ally expresses civic dignity, and the
nobility which should clothe the civic
thought of the people.
.'Of course, many notifications and
adaptations were necessary to put
inside this form the most modern OF
Office buildings, for that is all court
house Is. a sublimated office building
for the transaction of the county's
business.
/ Nor is there any reason why a
( public building should be heavy and
uply. For many years the prevail
inr tyne of courthouse architecture
has been the Romanesque. which re-
cards gloom as dignity, and heayiness
as civic pride. Modern thought is
growing away from that idea. with
the growing refinement and lnteili'
- a~oy,St ocf11ro