Studio SALA+D Architecture + Design News: Circleville Pumpkin Show

Pickaway County Courthouse, 1888, Weary and Kramer Architects.

The Pickaway County Courthouse is literally one of the most amazing buildings I have viewed over the course of all my years of architectural history study and international travel. The high level of intellectual play of geometry and historical iconography is amazing. "Let's play with the geometry, symmetry... let's create a surprising building that probably no one other than a highly- trained architect would understand," I might imagine Weary and Kramer said to one another when designing this building.

Upon researching Weary and Kramer Architects, this building is not listed among their great works, probably because it is virtually hidden. Nonetheless, this building is unlike any of the other buildings which are "good, textbook" examples of revival architecture that bears the mark of late 19th Century, American architecture. In Circleville, however, they decided to do some experimentation. To split the main pediment over the central core of the building was gutsy. This kind of design move leads me to believe these architects were brilliant beyond their years and for some reason or another did not express this genius prolifically.

Of course, every detail and the contrasting selection of building materials is excellent and on par with other notable American civic buildings that are contemporary examples with this one. But, the overall conceptual design, witty play on revival imagery is on the same level as one of my favorite architects of all time, Jože Plečnik of Slovenia in his work that populates Ljubljana. Take a look at some of the details in following photos.

Pickaway County Courthouse, Circleville, Ohio 1888, Weary and Kramer Architects

About 30-40 minutes south of Columbus, Ohio, mass tourists come to Circleville every Fall to celebrate the Pumpkin Show. A great example of traditional, American folk gatherings, the Pumpkin Show hosts many types of food vendors selling pumpkin ice cream, waffles, burgers, fries, pies, truffles, funnel cakes, and you name it pumpkin... they have it all. The fair has local beauty, craft, baking, and art competitions as well as parades with high school bands from around the state. A variety of pumpkins and other squash, gourds, etc. are presented in the center of the show every year. The largest pumpkin is always over 1,000 pounds with a long line of visitors waiting in line to take their picture next to the over-sized, sprawled orange giant pumpkin. Ferris wheel and other fair rides also dot the downtown main street giving its riders a gorgeous view of the whole spectacle.

While my family goes every year and always has a great time with the food, parades, rides, and displays... I have been absolutely in love with the largest building downtown, the Pickaway County Courthouse. Truly a gem among historical architecture, this building is virtually hidden within Ohio's fabric. Fortunately, the building has a corner stone with the name of Weary and Kramer Architects, 1888 carved into its native brown limestone. Upon further investigation, Weary and Kramer were from the east coast and did design several civic buildings within Ohio as well as in the Northeast.