Beautiful Brick

Downtown Niles hasn't always looked this. To be frank, it used to be pretty damned ugly. Up until a few years ago, most of the buildings were covered up in aluminum in a pitiful attempt to make the buildings look more modern. Then the town got a grant from the state government for a historic renovation of downtown. Most of the aluminum siding came down and building faces restored. (I remember the four buildings where the Main Street Antique Mall is now, used to be a huge gray slab.) Some buildings such as these have retained them. In addition, the sidewalks were bricked and shrubbery planted. Also, the street lamps were removed and replaced with period replicas. The town now has an ordinance that requires any new buildings to have a certain historic appearance. There was talk about putting in a roundabout at the north end of Main Street by city hall. Instead a bank was built.


The Newman Building (Niles Corner or First Source Bank)is one of my favorites. Can you see how covering this up with metal would be a crime?





In the back alley, these buildings' primary colors reminds me of Sweden. I don't know why.