A moral agency had most probably prompted the architect to the
distinction here hit upon--and he felt, doubtless, in admitting free
access to the light in the house of justice, and in excluding it almost
entirely from that of punishment, that he had recognised the proprieties
of a most excellent taste and true judgment. These apertures, clumsily
wrought in the logs of which the buildings were made, added still more
to their generally uncouth appearance. There was yet, however, another
marked difference between the courthouse and jail, which we should not
omit to notice. The former had the advantage of its neighbor, in being
surmounted by a small tower or cupola, in which a bell of moderate size
hung suspended, permitted to speak only on such important occasions as
the opening of court, sabbath service, and the respective anniversaries
of the birthday of Washington and the Declaration of Independence. This
building, thus distinguished above its fellows, served also all the
purposes of a place of worship, whenever some wandering preacher found
his way into the settlement; an occurrence, at the time we write, of
very occasional character.
Pages:
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116