Me and Miss P like to walk in different places, so we can look (or sniff) at different things as we slowly stroll along.   We (especially me) like to walk along on cleared sidewalks, so I don’t slip and fall on the ice.   Downtown seemed to be the place to go today, and we looked at a number of former religious buildings.    These ones have been re-purposed.

This building might look like it was once a church, but it’s not.   It was the original synagogue, now it’s an architect’s office.

This sturdy brick building was built for a large congregation, now vanished.   It was some sort of art place for a while, but now it is home to an alternative free newspaper.

This former Catholic church is sandwiched between businesses.   The last time I was in there it was an attorney’s office, now it is vacant awaiting the next tenant.

Yet another office space, but it’s a great looking building.   The congregation must have thought that they would need and occupy this forever so they built it to last.

This final one has had the most interesting re-purposing of all of these.  It was formerly a restaurant, and now it has been converted (in more than one sense) into a church!    So this place has gone full circle.

Another reason this town exists is because of fresh mountain air.  Once upon a time, before automobiles, people used to move here because of the clean, clear air.    Especially for persons with tuberculosis, because at that time fresh air and rest was the only cure.

This vintage scene recently appeared in the newspaper.   Note the Indian rug in the middle of the room.   This is the west after all.

Over the years most of the original TB sanitariums have developed into hospitals   But this former sanitarium is now the administration building of the local university.  The extension on the front was a sleeping porch, the windows would be open year round for that healthful air.

This photo from the 1918 also appeared in our newspaper.   This sanitarium had 35 beds, which I assume means that there were 35 little houses.   And there are still some remaining around the city.

They can still be spotted in various places around town.  This one is at the entrance to a tourist attraction.

These ones are also in a tourist area, and they remind me of elf houses (assuming that elves are real).

And as recently as 1940, the air was still pristine enough to draw people here.  Of course now there is medicine to treat TB.   Now people with allergies and asthma worry about the quality (or lack thereof) of our air.

The county courthouse is always a symbol of civic pride and importance, and our local courthouse is no exception.  Finished in 1903, it was made to last through the ages.   And it has, but the courthouse functions moved across the street years ago, now it is a local history museum.

The courtrooms were beautiful, a great place to be tried.

The winged figure isn’t an angel or winged Justice, she is there to represent Gold, Silver had to settle for the back wall.

It still has the manually operated elevator.   The courthouse was the scene of a made for TV movie some years ago because of it’s vintage charm.   My friend the elevator repairman was hired to stand around for a week or so just to make sure the elevator went at the exact speed the movie makers needed.   (It was a great payday).

At first glance the inside of the building looks like marble, but it’s just a very fancy paint job.

Inside there are remnants of the olden days, like this buggy.

Or this room from a writer’s house, which was torn down years ago.

Then there is this rather frightened looking beaver, forever trapped in a display with a beaver hat.   I think he might be my favorite exhibit.