I grew up in a small town in central New Hampshire, definitely off the beaten track, and I always admired the historic ring of commercial buildings surrounding our Central Square. In addition to two standing taverns from the 1790s, my favorite building was a French Second Empire gem built during the 1860s and 1870s, featured prominently in the center of the photograph below. It is remarkable that such an elegant, ornate, and exotic architectural style found its way to my small town in the New Hampshire woods so quickly.
Also pictured in the above photograph, starting from the far left: the 1894 Mica factory building, which I believe was recently demolished after years of neglect by its owner led to irreparable structural integrity issues. The small red building is a grist mill dating from 1767. The building on the far right was built about 1841.
Here's a view of the same block from behind, along the Newfound River (the original power source for the 1767 red grist mill):
Another attractive building around this Central Square is the Bartlett House, built sometime between the early 1800s and early 1830s:
Brick is a relatively rare building material in rural New England's residential architecture, which makes this one something of a treat.
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All Soul's College Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, my favourite Cathedral in Britain
The Cotswolds are where I live, I love the traditional Honey Stone houses
