I tell people, probably until they're sick of hearing it, that you never know what sort of interesting sight you'll see next, if you just look. Ohio cities and towns are anything but boring. The problem is that most of us get so caught up in our daily grind, not to mention our walkmans and cell phones, that we could walk past a lion dancing the waltz with a hyena and never notice. This is a pity. There's so much to see.

Let's have a look at one of my favorite examples. The building in the picture looks like it could have been built anywhere from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. It would fit right in on the streets of a lot of small cities in Europe. People spend a fortune travelling to soak up period charm like this.

Well, guess what? It's in Downtown Toledo. Sits right on Madison, next to an Art Deco skyscraper. It was built, in 1929, as a realtor's office, but is used by a jewelry store now.

You've seen houses like this. They're all over the place. People call them "Tudor", though the correct designation is "Mock Tudor" or "Tudorbethan". The Tudor dynasty ruled England from the time of Henry VII to Elizabeth I, late in the time things like this were built. It's one of the eclectic styles of architecture that were popular in the early twentieth century. You see, along with the new, more "modern" styles of the time, some people preferred a return to older forms. Their work, as in this case, was an accurate re-creation of buildings from the past. Williamsburg comes to mind, the same sort of idea.

This particular building is a good example. The half-timbering is well done and looks authentic, not just tacked on. Maybe it is authentic. A lot of buildings like this used, not only the style of old buildings, but the construction methods, too. I like the contrast between the stucco on the main wall and the bare brick in the gable. By the way, that arrangement of beams up there may look like an upside-down peace symbol, but it would add a lot of extra strength to the wall. The small-paned casement windows on the second floor add another note of authenticity. On the whole, this is one of the best examples of the "let's build like the old days" attitude I've ever seen. Believe me, I've seen a lot of it. Oh, yes, one other thing. Building something like this would be expensive. Look at the side wall on the right. It used to be hidden by another building. Authenticity is good, but why waste money on something no one will see? The side wall is just plain brick. I suppose the builders didn't expect the rush to tear things down for parking lots. Their consternation would be softened by seeing that someone's painted a nice mural on it.