The exterior of the Rhea County Courthouse is still impressive after all of these years, and it is easy to visualize the effect of such a large trial on a small Southern town in the heat of summer. The summer heat, hot blooded creationists, evidence spouting scientists and of course the world media turned little Dayton into the hot box of debate for eleven days. To this day the debate continues between those supporting the mythology of creationism and those supporting the scientific method of accepting reproducible truths.
Climbing the stairs, it is easy to imagine yourself walking in the footsteps of Scopes, Darrow and Bryan all those years ago. What is difficult is, on this cool spring day, is imagining the heat of July so many years ago prior to the air conditioning of this building. The stairs are well preserved and still possess the effect that you are climbing above the ordinary and into the face of destiny. I couldn't help but think that the architects of this building had such theatrics in mind as they designed this courthouse. At the top of the stairs you can see the entrance to the courtroom where Darrow for science and Bryan for the theists did battle.
The jury box does not look like a place that I would like to sit for eleven days in the eat of July in Southern Tennessee.
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