Folks driving down Wheeling’s Main Street the last couple of days may have looked wistfully at the old Kaufman’s building, noting that the blue metal panels and sign that made that building a unique aspect of that street were coming down.

High winds blew out some of the panels earlier in the week, and crews were there mid-week removing more. Plenty of people remember walking through those doors over Kaufman’s 80 years in business in that spot. Before it closed in 2010, it was part of Wheeling’s retail fabric.

Students and parents bought prom dresses and other clothing there. It was one of the stops everyone made when taking the trip downtown.

Alas, those doors have been closed for years, and attempts to purchase it have fallen through.

If there’s a silver lining in the cloud, it’s that removing those panels have allowed us to see the facade of the original building underneath. It’s like opening a time capsule, getting a glimpse even further into the past of Wheeling’s history.

Hopefully, someone will purchase the building and find new use for it. Empty buildings along downtown Wheeling’s main throughways don’t help the neighborhood’s image as an area experiencing regrowth.

Yet, while Wheeling looks toward the future, it is nice to see a little window into the past. Let’s just not make it permanent.