Lancaster County Courthouse, SC (Historic)

     I would love to say that the whole world thinks like you and me. Today I spent part of the day in Lancaster, SC. Just wandering, looking for places to hide caches, 

taking pictures. Having a good time in my own way. At one point I was in front of the old courthouse. I love this building for several reasons. 

     For one, it was designed by Robert Mills. Who is Robert Mills? Well, he designed something you've probably seen before. Like a courthouse or two, some building in Charleston, SC and the Washington Monument. 

     Yes, that Washington Monument. THE Washington Monument. So you might see why I have some affection for the place.   

     I write that bit because as I was walking up to the courthouse a lady and her companion were walking past me on the sidewalk. She took time out of her day to inform me that, "There ain't a damn thang worth taking pictures of in this town." So maybe I used the term lady to soon. Although she did innuciate her curse word quite well.

     Mr. Mills had quite a career. But start at the beginning. 

Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Mills moved to Philadelphia in 1802 where he became an associate and student of Benjamin Henry Latrobe. A graduate of College of Charleston, he gradually became known in his own right. Some Philadelphia buildings that he designed are Washington Hall, Samson Street Baptist Church, and the Octagon Church for the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. He also designed the Upper Ferry Bridge covering. He also designed and built the still-original First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia in 1802. This church later was the home to Woodrow Wilson who grew up in the church while his father, Joseph R. Wilson was Pastor. In 1808 he created blueprints for a prison used mostly for reform. In 1811 the prison was constructed in Mt Holly, New Jersey. "With the possible exception of [their] neighbor, Eastern States Penitentiary, it is the most significant prison building in the United States" says Historic Burlington County Prison Museum Association.

In 1812, Mills designed the Monumental Church in Richmond, Virginia which was built to commemorate the death of 72 people in the Richmond Theatre. This incident sparked (no pun intended) his later interest in fireproofing measures.

Moving to Baltimore, he designed St. John\'s Episcopal Church, the Maryland House of Industry, and the Maryland Club. He is noted for designing the nation's first Washington Monument, in Baltimore, which began construction in 1815.

In 1820, he was appointed as acting commissioner of the Board of Public Works in South Carolina. In 1823, Mills was the superintendent of public buildings. In the next few years, he designed numerous buildings in South Carolina including court houses, the campus of the University of South Carolina, jails, and the Fireproof Building in Charleston. In 1825, he authored an Atlas of the State of South Carolina. One year later, he published Statistics of South Carolina. He reputedly designed the Old Horry County Courthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

.                                       The previous is courtesy of Wikipedia. 

     

     How much different would Washington have looked if this had been built instead of what is there now?

     So today I found out a wealth of information about a building that I have passed a thousand times I bet. There's more. But a bit more research. Then some off the beaten path stuff. 

S