Now that the former Troutman House is safe from harm, I feel it necessary to alert Butler residents about two more historic buildings facing the wrecking ball. This time it is The Reiber Block at 115-21 East Jefferson St., circa 1879, and the Douthett Building at 115 S. Main St., circa 1916. Both of these buildings have exceptionally ornate facades at their front side, especially at the rooftop.

The Reiber Block was outfitted with a cast iron mail-order storefront by the Mesker Brothers with offices in St. Louis, Mo., and Evansville, Ind. The Meskers supplied more than 5,000 mail-order storefronts, including this one, to merchants throughout the United States.

The Douthett Building has a very unusual carved masonry pediment roofline. The Douthett Building currently is occupied on its street level and has structurally sound unoccupied floors above.

The Reiber Block most recently housed Madison Firearms, Don Paul Jewelers and Readers' Paradise on its street level, with original ornately outfitted floors above. These historic buildings are in the way of the Centre City Project, of which I am in favor.

What I am not in favor of is having Butler's Centre City Project anchored by another giant, modern "big box" Rite Aid drugstore. When I think of a center city project, I think of restored storefronts and new buildings with a charm and character reminiscent of the city's historic past, not of plain, new brick boxes with no apparent novelty.

Centre City is a tax incremental financing district that would encompass the property bordered by South Main, East Cunningham, South McKean and East Jefferson streets, plus the Wishing Well property and the Cycle Warehouse, formerly the Troutman Department Store, both at West Cunningham and South Main streets.

What I am perplexed about is how these two buildings situated in Butler's current Historic Main Street Corridor can be razed without a historic evaluation and usefulness survey.

Many Butler residents are unaware that this city has a historic district designation encompassing the area roughly bounded by North Church Street on the west, Walnut Street on the north, Franklin Street on the east and Wayne Street on the south (460 acres, 128 buildings, four objects).

Before we are subjected to a "monopoly big box" drugstore chain anchoring the Centre City Project, I as well as many others here in Butler would like an answer to a historic evaluation and usefulness survey, the report made available for public viewing.

I hope our new Main Street manager, Rebecca Smith, will use her experience, expertise and professional judgment to save all that is left of Butler's architectural gems.

Rebecca will be focusing on issues such as economic restructuring, promotion or marketing, design and organization, and she indicated she would be seeking volunteers to help in those endeavors. I will be the first to sign up to volunteer on these important tasks at hand.

We have so many former "diamonds in the rough." Let us restore the Majestic Theater (Nallathambi Medical Associates, Inc.), 131 E. Cunningham St.; the YMCA Block, which includes Cubs Hall and vacant buildings to the south; The Reiber Block; and the Douthett Building (Ruffles and Truffles). If we don't stop the demolition of these structures, Butler will be losing its character Main Street charm.

I am requesting that others act with me now to volunteer to help Rebecca Smith make "Our Butler Centre City" another successful historic Main Street.

All proactive comments and suggestions are welcome via e-mail at catmandu63@aol.com