Twenty-three thousand souls. Notable people from the town seem to fall into two categories: "Country singer" and "football player."

Time traveller: “I’d like my building to be designed like a Klingon Bird of Prey at rest.”

Architect: “I don’t know what that means.”

Time traveller: (sighs, gets out a pen and starts drawing)

It’s one of those buildings whose walls imply its bygone neighbors.

Effin’ New Bank:

Proof that just using the old motifs doesn’t automatically work. But it’s better than a 70s OUMB.

Absolute standard issue 20s commercial structure.

Nothing special, but every town is better for having one. Did it get an extra floor? I think so.

“We were all surprised when renovating revealed the existence of many skeletons between the first and second floor. Seems it was built as a murder house.”

The classic post-war angled rehab, with the classic thin brick

The door looks as if the bank only serves people under four feet.

Crisp as the day it was built.

From the golden age of recessed windows. Note: it was not a golden age.

Another beautiful post-war shop window.

Will it ever again be populated by mannikins wearing the latest styles?

We all know the answer to that.

Another standard-issue civic building, with a nice array of Doric columns.

Nothing more I can say about it, except that's remarkable how well these buildings age. Not physically, but visually. They are eternal.

Unusual window crown moldings, if that’s the term here. Almost too heavy, but it works.

Ah, the signs of downtown revitalization. The good ol’ brick planter and seating.

Nah, we didn’t hire a designer. Knew a guy who said he could do it. Looks fine.

Needs a bit more space between those Romanesque tubes and the windows, if you ask me, but glad it was made, and glad it survived.

The Fellows were doing okay to afford this.

Hope they had some cash left over for the whole mutual-aid thing.

C’mon, someone reglaze this guy.

Now why would they do that.

Looks like it could be an an old theater. But nothing comes back on cinematreasures, unless it was the Rex.

This was a theater: the Imperial.

The roof collapsed long ago. The facade has been carefully and respectfully maintained.

It’s always a sign of optimism and confidence when they build a parking ramp downtown. They rarely look good, but this one . . ..

. . . it’s not bad. It has presence, and the details give it a bit of interest.

ISMOPS

No, it’s Bishop’s. Or was. Been vacant since the cars started rolling past in 2007.

have the horrible feeling we’ve been here before.

Something about this seems familiar, and it’s not just because I have a dim memory of snapping the grabs in the first place. It’s the odd configuration of the bottom floor.

Checking . . . whew. No, we haven’t been here before.

This might be familiar because we’ve seen it in other towns. The mail-order piece of Paris that made everyone feel as if the town was a bit more sophisticated now.

Well, it was.

A great year, topping off a great boom decade! Boy, can’t wait to see what the 30s will bring.

Not the first time we've seen this, though. That bit of European grace you could order from the catalogue.