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Monday, July 25, 2011

Old South Carolina Courthouses: Marion County

One of the best parts of being a lawyer is that my work takes me all over South Carolina, and I get to places that I wouldn't otherwise normally go. Recently, I went to Marion, SC. The Courthouse in Marion is a landmark. Built in 1853, it is the oldest Courthouse in the United States that is still in use as a functioning Courthouse. Pictures and an aside about architecture below the jump.

This is a good shot of the billowed columns (better known as "entasis" for you engineering dorks) on the front side of the Courthouse. Entasis is an old trick the ancient engineers came up with when they were building all their temples back in the good ol' days. If you put up columns that have a uniform width (or circumference), they will appear to be too skinny to the human eye. To adjust for the optical illusion and make your columns look solid, the column is actually widened near the bottom. Note the difference here:

 When you compare these to the ones at the Marion County Courthouse, you can tell that these look a little "skinny". So, the ancient Greeks knew their stuff. Anyway, I digress. Back to Marion:

The courtroom (there is only one) comprises almost the entirety of the second floor, and there is a portrait of (you guessed it) Francis Marion on the back wall. The first floor is administration, and was clearly updated in the functional style typical of 1970's government buildings. However, the Courtroom still has wonderfully high ceilings, chandeliers, and is well restored. If you're ever on your way to the beach, stop in Marion and take a look at a wonderful Courthouse.

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