I live in the northern Midwest. We have a lot of buildings with high ceilings like this. They were also common in Virginia. I would think they would be hard to keep heated. Did they serve some other purpose that outweighed the heating problems?
The first air-conditioning system was made in 1902. Having a high ceiling in a public building would make cooling cheaper if the building only has one floor.
You know if have a 2 story home you turn on the air-conditioning on on the second floor and your whole house cools down? Same concept but with one a one story building. The air in the room would be able to circulate faster and more efficiently.
That's why old Victorian buildings have lots of windows in their rooms.
Plus Virginia and the mid west are warmer than the upper states so heating costs wouldnt be a drawback in the winter if you where a business owner.
(Hopefully this makes sense, my engish isn't 10/10)
