Boarded-up windows above MainStreet businesses like these help hide a varied collection of artifacts that give a glimpse into Butler's past. From movie theaters to dance halls to men's clothing stores, many of today's storefronts housed vastly different businesses during a vastly different time.

Brian McGonigle, owner of Lloyd and Johnson Office Furniture, had long wondered what was above his Main Street store.

His father, the late Harold McGonigle, purchased the store in the mid-1980s, when Brian was a freshman in college. The store was purchased from John Johnson and Dave Lloyd, who owns the building still.

"I had been up there looking for an access to that place so many times I can't tell you," he said of the building's attic, which he assumed could be entered via a second-floor partition.Despite his curiosity, McGonigle didn't find a portal until 20 years later — when stormy weather blew in a plywood sheet that covered one of the window openings.When repairmen entered the opening by using a ladder on an adjacent roof, McGonigle learned the stairs had long since been removed. Ceiling tiles on the floor below concealed their former location."I think I had white pants on," McGonigle laughed about the day he finally found the attic — a dusty apartment with plaster walls and wainscoting."It looked like it had two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room and kitchen.""It looked like the roof had been replaced," he also said, explaining the renovation possibly encroached on space in the apartment."Probably rather than raise the building they had to deconstruct the third floor."<B>History lesson</B>As part of his attic exploration, McGonigle found a few relics from the apartment's past: assorted jars, part of an antique clothes iron and what appeared to be a hair dryer.But other downtown lofts show a broader view of Butler history. Looming above duct work in the Brick House attic, for instance, is the proscenium arch of the Capitol Theater.Although a comedy mask remains mounted near the arch, its drama counterpart did not survive the HVAC installation, probably done when the building was an Eat 'n Park.In addition to the arch and mask, the attic contains some of the theater's carpet and the wooden risers that served as a base for the seats.An envelope of can slips, or documents that accompanied cans of movie film, reflect what Butler residents watched.

In March of 1940, "Texas Renegades" and "The Man in the Iron Mask" were showing. The following year, "The Phantom Express" and "O'Malley of the Mountain" were featured attractions.Typical of the times, the can lists also listed news clips along with the trailers."You got all that for a nickel," said Xavier Redick, senior bartender at the Brick House, whose 86-year-old grandmother, Anne, saw her first talking picture at the Capitol.With the Capitol occupying what is now the north side of the Brick House, the south side was also once occupied by the Lyric theater, noted more for Vaudeville shows."I found old shoes and pants and things like that — a couple of old shirts up there," said manager Chris Burgess of what he assumes were theater costumes."I found one sign stating that 'The Capitol Theater will be closed for Labor Day. Please Feel Free to Enjoy a Show at the Penn,'" he said.The nearness of the Penn theater also implies movies and performances were once a popular pastime downtown.The offices of Nallathambi Medical Associates at the corner of Cunningham and McKean streets suggest the same.Upper levels of that building contain the former Majestic Theater, whose stage and balconies are distinguishable in the unused space.

Above the theater, a ballroom occupies the building's top floor.Its wooden seats still line the dance floor's perimeter, said Sandy Davis, Dr. Swamikkan Nallathambi's secretary, adding a stage with pillars is also visible.With the theater's high ceilings below, multiple flights of steep stairs are the only access to the ballroom."Can you imagine the trek up there?" Davis speculated of days when the ballroom was in use.In addition to theaters, many downtown attics also contain clothing store relics.The attic of Fudoli Music, once Benson's clothing store, still harbors a handful of store mannequins and a yellowed men's suit advertisement.Nearby, the Douthett building, home to the Ruffles and Truffles store, contains wooden storage cupboards from the building's previous incarnations.Built in 1916, owner Bill Douthett said his grandfather owned a clothing business before renting the space to the W.T. Grant Co. in the 1920s."At one time there were six men's clothing stores on Main Street and any number of shoe stores," he said."When my grandfather had it, they had men's clothing and suits on the third floor and shirts and furnishings on the first. It was a big store for its day," he said. "The mid-floor was used as stockrooms and had offices, but all that's vacant now.""Until 15 or 20 years ago we had a mess of old detachable collars," he added, explaining how collars were once used to freshen the appearance of shirts, worn by men for multiple days.

Unlike many of the attics, Douthett's still contains windows instead of plywood boards.But intact windows don't mean the attic is being used."Most of the owners are old families. They don't know what to do with these buildings," Douthett said of the vacant spaces and the prohibitive cost of restoration."They want fireproof doors on all the doors and four-hour fireproof stairwells,"he added.While some of the buildings have retained grandfather rights for their existing use, many — especially the topmost levels of buildings — are vacant, which means today's building codes could necessitate upgrades.But those modifications vary according to how the building is constructed and to its previous and intended use, said John Evans, zoning officer and building code official for the city."It's a case-by-case basis," he explained. "In many cases, what most people need are emergency lighting, in some cases smoke and heat detection, in other cases modifications of hardware on door locks — things such as that."

Fire-rated stair assemblies are also sometimes required, he said.Evans said upgrades are sometimes less extensive than owners imagine, and owners can contact him and the fire chief to request a walk-through."We'll be happy to work with them. If we know of any solutions to problems that can help them, we'll be more than happy to share that with them."A recent collaboration is that of Cornerstone Commons, the former Independent Order of Odd Fellows building at South Main and Cunningham streets.Constructed in 1849, the building was expanded in 1905 to include an upper story.Joe Gray, building owner and vice president of Gateway Engineers, which occupies the second floor, bought the building in 2004.Since then, Gray has spent about $600,000 in upgrades.Significant expenses include electrical upgrades and an elevator, followed by HVAC, restrooms and other improvements, said project manager John Ankney."Structurally it was in good shape, and that's probably a 100 percent consideration in doing something like this," Gray said."I had a use for (the building). It gave me room for expansion and I saw opportunities to do other things with it."Those other things include a third-floor banquet facility that will house its first event next month.Spanning about 4,500 square feet, the banquet space includes two rooms plus restrooms and a small sitting area with an original fireplace.The building's history is also retained in the woodwork, and gold accent paint was reapplied to the decorative ceiling.The building's original wooden stairway, something Gray was reluctant to sacrifice, created a conflict with present-day code.

Rather than remove the stairway, Gray opted to change the height of the handrail by adding an artful welded extension."You have to work with what you've got,"Gray said."The city's been fine to work with. ... They're not looking for obstacles to throw your way,"he said.The city's downtown revitalization committee also is finalizing an application to the state Department of Community and Economic Development's Main Street project, which would provide access to funding and other resources to upgrade downtown."We'll be completing it and sending it within 30 days," said Bob Moore of Milo Williams Jewelers, a member of the Downtown Business Association."The likelihood is good, he said. "With Butler County being the fastest-growing county in Pennsylvania, Harrisburg has their eyes on us."

Moore and his neighbor, Tim Shaffer, are also sharing a stairwell so Shaffer can run a storage business above the Rite Aid store.Since uniform building codes required Shaffer to have a second exit for emergencies, the business owners found an affordable way to accomplish that goal."By using our common stairwell, he has an emergency exit," Moore said."Anything we can do like that to make the system work is an advantage," he said."When places like Cranberry (Township) are trying to create a Main Street, we are so very lucky to have a beautiful Main Street. But we need to capitalize on that. We need to fix it up."

Kathy Bresnahan, a certified medical assistant at Nallathambi Medical Associates on East Cunningham Street, holds a playbill found in the former Majestic Theater, the building Nallathambi now occupies.

A mannequin sits in the attic above Fudoli's Music on Main Street.

The remains of the Capitol Theater stage are found above the Brick House restaurant on Main Street.

Several old bottles and jars were found in the boarded-up third floor of the Lloyd and Johnson Office Furniture store on Main Street.

Brian McGonigle of Lloyd and Johnson Office Furniture on Main Street was able to access the boarded up third floor of his building only after a storm damaged plywood used to board up windows. Once inside, McGonigle found an old apartment, complete with two bedrooms, a living room, dining room and kitchen.

Right, this old hair dryer was among the artifacts found above Lloyd and Johnson Office Furniture on Main Street. Part of a clothes iron, left, was also found.

Right, a decorative welded extension allows an antique stairway to comply with building codes in the former Odd Fellows building at the corner of Main and East Cunningham streets. At left, project manager John Ankney, left, and owner Joe Gray show the banquet facility created on the building's third floor.