Wapakoneta, Ohio - Temple of Tolerance

An ordinary house on an ordinary street in Wapakoneta, OH, transformed by James Bowsher into the Temple of Tolerance. The house itself is built up in front with stones and used monuments, while the back looks like some Japanese-inspired stone retreat run amok.

But the rear of the house is much larger than one backyard, Mr. Bowsher acquired the backyards of a number of his neighbors and it goes on much farther than you would have thought it could in the midst of an ordinary suburban block.

Twigs form canopies and arches, there are altars made of stone, rusted machine parts, porcelain fixtures, old gods and little plastic bits of something else. Twittering birds and frisky squirrels abound. Dogs in surrounding yards bark and someone somewhere was blowing a police whistle. It also looked like a great place to pick up local high school girls. [David Hansen, 10/13/2002]