Humanities

Hu

Reaction Essay

The Greeks/Romans never invaded Rutherford CountyÐ'- physically. Yet the Greeks have left a deep and unforgettable mark on Rutherford County and the United States thinking, politics, philosophy, law, art, architecture, literature and the sciences. In going out and about in "Small-Town" friendly Rutherford County, I realized that just like the Romans of old we like to "borrow" other people ideas. My husband, kids and I, travel through Rutherford each Sunday on our way to church, when I started reading these chapters I become conscious of how much Greek and Roman Architecture is around us. I also work and attend Isothermal Community College and many of the building here have Roman/Greek influence. The library has tall columns and arches are use in it and the administration building. The buildings that I would like to commit on are the Rutherford County Courthouse, Cliffside Elementary School, and First Baptist church (some people call it Forest City Baptist). I choose these buildings because I thought they showed a good assortment in Rutherford County.

I will start with the Courthouse, we travel by the Courthouse each Sunday and Wednesday night, I have always thought that the courthouse was very impressive and magnificent in appearance. Every inch is symbolic, the high columns, big windows, high steps going up to the front windows. It combines Roman and Greek stunning with an American twist. The courthouse and nearby jail was built in 1784 on land purchase from James Adair, it combines a variety of services for Rutherford County citizens including Register of Deeds, taxes, license, birth and death certificates and is the 29th district court of law.

The next building that I visited was Cliffside Elementary School, When Cliffside School was built by Cliffside Mills in 1920, at a cost of over one-quarter million dollars, Cliffside School was the most modern and up-to-date building in Rutherford County. The building is still in use today, presently educating over 450 pupils it is located on Main Street, Cliffside and it is in a beautiful location (see picture) with the tall, high, columns and the arch in the windows it is hard to hide the Roman/Greek influence on this very striking building. You can almost imagery it being in Roman and Roman children being educated by Socrates, or Plato (not far from Cliffside