The skyline of Butler as seen in November 2020. Butler Eagle File Photo

People representing businesses and organizations in the Butler area attended an informational session on the evening of March 3, where leaders of the planned Butler Cultural District spoke about its latest promotion: Steeples and Stacks.

The promotion’s name is a reference to Butler’s skyline, which features several pointy church steeples jutting out from an almost equal number of chimney stacks, reminiscent of the city’s past in manufacturing. It’s a great way to describe a visual representation of Butler’s culture — many people in the city worked in factories throughout the week while attending church on the weekends.

The Butler Cultural District plans to create a community mosaic on the wall of the Penn Theater and to dedicate a bench in front of the former National Guard armory, now Independence Health System Family Services, on North Washington Street. The mosaic will honor Charles Albert Waters, a Butler native who became the first Black soldier in the Pennsylvania National Guard.

These are all great ideas, not only because they commemorate significant people and pieces of the city, but because they help people in the city relate to those who came before them. Additionally, events like Tuesday’s give people a reason to come out and contribute to the cultural district.

The cultural district has been in the works for years, so it’s important that its organizers keep it at the top of the minds of the people it is aimed at: residents of the city and its nearby areas. If the project is going to be a success, it first has to be noticed and recognized. That’s exactly what events and promotions like Steeples and Stacks do.

Take a look at the city’s buildings next time you come down Main Street from the north — you’ll have a great view of the Butler skyline.

— ET