"Faux Tuscan Architecture"

I have had my eye on this structure in the "River Walk Village," for a number of years.  It's located just off the main drag in Richland, Wa., and serves primarily as a fancy strip mall housing among other things, "Rosie's Ice Cream and Diner."  As far as strip malls go, it's fairly pleasing to the eye; however, it is obviously not a bona-fide piece of real Tuscan architecture . . . no more than the castle in Disneyland is a bona-fide piece of Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle.

 Sad, but true.

Driving home later I was lamenting the fact that this building and the old baroque-styled court house across the river in Pasco, are really the only "European" style buildings in our area of 100,000 plus population.  And that got me to thinking about how utterly dismal all the architecture was way back in the good ol' days when buildings were constructed in this area with nothing other than the lowest government bids and they were all covered in asbestos siding, probably.  Buildings then were built for nothing more than meeting the goal of the proprieters.  Nothing fancy, just lay the foundation, put up the wood frame, plumbing, electrical, doors, windows (some), and get on with it. 

I guess we are pretty lucky these days.  Faux, or no faux, that is the question and I have to go with faux - for now.