(6/2021) It is easy to forget or ignore the things we experience daily. Brushing your teeth in the morning or having a late rendezvous with a swaddle of blankets hardly ever stand out and receive serious recognition in light of the intricacies of the day. The man who says otherwise to himself is either lying or more alert than average, which if the latter case, deserves quite a bit of commendation. Regardless, these minor routines can define the mood, pace, or course of an entire day or night if absent or performed improperly. They are unimaginably small activities that lead to an out of place effect, though the fact is that such unnoticeable irregularities influence the human mind to a degree. No matter how much we fail to consider them, they do not fail to consider us, if the relationship can be so explained. This reality is applicable to art, though especially to architecture, as there is no other art that is inescapable.

In the area which this paper covers, we are not only fortunate, but perhaps even blessed, to be surrounded by what could be termed "good" architecture. A quick drive down the main street of Emmitsburg or York Street in Gettysburg will result in a veritable lesson in Victorian and Colonial architecture. The high sloped roofing of a Second Empire mansion, the bright white and brick combination of a colonial schoolhouse, and the manicured white siding of a modern revival of the two are all easily visible on the streets of the latter. It takes no effort to find these beautifully arranged design styles; however, to seek out the fashionable styles of modernity requires effort. I can think of only two in Gettysburg and the only examples I can think of in Emmitsburg or Thurmont are academic or government buildings. Either way, this is a limited amount. In other words, as we wake up in the morning, we are more than likely to be surrounded by the intricately decorated architecture of the past as opposed to the architecture of modernity orchestrated in a rejection of that decoration of the past.

What do a few old, hard to take care of, and deteriorating buildings have to do with us? It is a valid question, and one whose answer is simple. As we go about our daily business in this area of the country we are, for the most part, surrounded by an easily accessible beauty. It is not the passive ugliness of the steel skyscrapers of New York that define the area, but the expression of a legacy through brick, wood, and mortar. These old styles, while for the most part no longer fashionable, considered beauty as important as functionality. The color shades of brick, particularly in red, contrast well with the greens of plant life. Gray bricks and stones, on the other hand, flow neatly with the hue of snow and dormant vegetation. Regardless of the season, the traditional styles that characterize our historic towns complement the beauty of nature, further highlighting their own. Along with this accentuation of natural beauty came principles of order. Most historic houses were rigidly constructed in symmetrical or at least visually equivalent patterns. Think, for example, of the classical centered location of the door and the arraying of windows around it, or in the case of some Italianate buildings of the 1800s, a central tower in the façade. In this way, rather than developing the characteristic ugliness of raw functionality that underlies the brutalist, modernist, or postmodern forms of architecture, the classical schools displayed beauty in and of themselves while reflecting that of the environment.

What this presence of beauty means is that individuals in this area have the opportunity to be surrounded by beauty. In any season, wherever there is civilization nearby, the odds are favorable that some desirable sort of architecture is close. This is hardly a whimsical pleasure, however, but an existential one. Humans have a sort of tendency to live as they are surrounded by. Think of how often we live like our friends or schedule our day around working or attending school. We bend, to a certain degree, from our individuality to suit the conditions around us. If we are surrounded by ugliness, as in many urban landscapes, the easiest response is to become dissatisfied and anxious. As such, when navigating situations characterized by these problems in daily life, being surrounded by an aesthetically unappealing environment cannot help. Considering that buildings make up most of this environment, it would then seem that ugly architecture, similar to sad music, only enhances a depressive state. On the contrary, considering the same influence of architecture on the individual, an area in which the affected person is surrounded by aesthetically pleasing architecture may influence the same sort of effect, though opposite. Beautiful art, just like pleasing music, tends to enliven the mind, uplifting an individual even for a brief moment from a depressive state. In this sense, architecture according to traditional styles and categories of beauty can influence an individual positively or negatively.

Artful architecture does not only influence the mood of an individual. In addition to this personal effect, there is an undeniable communal aspect to classical architecture that can influence a group as a whole. Consider for a moment that the evolution of previous architectural styles reflected the evolution of cultures. American architectural styles began in humble colonial forms according to the country of origin of certain settlers. Later, however, these styles changed from simplistic brick structures to the ornate embellishments of the later Gilded age, progressing to the experimental arrangements of the Art Deco movement. Each of these unique forms of architecture were a piece of some cultural journey of the people that developed them, with the changes occurring as a result of conditions experienced. Such events craft an identity for a civilization, and even subconsciously, the presence of related architecture reminds the individual of this identity. More importantly, it can integrate the individual, in a sense, into the course of his ancestors by surrounding him with what is in practice a miniature retelling of their stories.

It is in this concept of progression from our origins that the beauty of past architectural styles finds a true expression. Their importance, and by extension their influence, is not limited to the mere qualities of aesthetic beauty. Rather, it is through the association of it with our own characteristic experience as a nation that value is found to bolster this beauty, even though it is hardly ever noticed in everyday life. Without the presence of this subtle background of beauty, all that can remain is a darker landscape of mankind’s own making. Think of the barren wasteland of the largest cities, where nature is not harmonized with human creation, and above all else, the connection to the heritage of the nation is instead submerged amongst the cold steel of a modernity that longs to escape the past. It is a picture without a critical foundation to support it, something that, here in Emmitsburg, is not the case. There are generations of classical structures to both provide beauty to our eyes and security to our heritage. It is for this reason that the buildings that define this little town, and some of those around it, are blessings that we must preserve.