Columbus, Indiana, a city about the size of West Bend, has become a mecca for its collection of 70 buildings designed by world-class architects.
It draws visitors from all over the world. It has been dubbed the “Athens on the Plains.”
Though not at the same scale, West Bend is already pulling in visitors to its historic downtown cultural district. It’s off to a great launch as a destination, but Columbus is a sterling example of what more can be accomplished with visionary leadership and deep community support.
One man made the difference in Columbus. J. Erwin Miller returned to his home town from college at Yale and Oxford and became a driving force during his career at Cummins Engine Company. The company was an early pioneer in bringing game-changing diesel engines to the market. It is now a $34 billion company with more than 55,000 employees in almost every country.
Miller was a man of many dimensions beyond his business focus; an ecumenical Christian lay leader, a civil rights activist and friend of Dr. Martin Luther King; and an impresario for culture in Columbus.
It was his vision to create the Cummins Foundation in 1954 to pay the architectural fees for any new public building in Columbus.
The underlying philosophy for the architectural vision was that excellent art could spark a community. Cummins Engine needed talent, and Miller believed a vibrant city could attract and retain good people. Beyond that, he loved his hometown.
Miller believed that his improbable city of about 50,000 people could be the best community of its size in the United States. It could even be known internationally. He thought big.
Much has been written about Columbus’ success, but I wanted to see it myself. It was on my bucket list. My son Dan agreed to orchestrate the trip and make the six hour drive from West Bend. It was worth the drive.
North Christian Church
The strategic positioning of Columbus as a special place worked. Some of the buildings are masterpieces; others are less grand, relatively inexpensive structures that still catch the eye. At the end of the day, it’s a working city.
Some of the most striking buildings, mostly in the Modernist style, are:
- The original Cummins plant built in 1960 designed by Harry Weese, the architect most often retained in Columbus.
- Eliel Saarinen’s First Christian Church, built in 1942, that features a commanding 166-foot independent bell tower.
- North Christian Church, designed in 1964 by Eero Saarinen, featuring a 190-foot spire on top of a six-sided structure. (He is the son of Eliel and architect of Milwaukee’s War Memorial Center, both are Finnish immigrants.)
- Columbus City Hall, designed by Skidmore, Owens and Merrill in 1981.
Cummins Engine Company – Main Plant
Few, if any, communities will be able to match the 70 years of investment and vision that have made Columbus what it has become.
Yet, other communities can think big, too. They, too, can use their assets, talents and community commitment to create special places.
First Christian Church
West Bend already stands out because of more than 50 years of redevelopment of its city center. Few cities can match its collection of urban assets, including the striking Museum of Wisconsin Art; its national-class collection of 63 sculptures – half in the downtown; The Historic West Bend Theatre, a restored Art Deco architectural gem; Regner Park, full of amenities like Kuss Field and a recently added water park; the happy, colorful floral displays; the Riverwalk; and the Milwaukee River itself, flowing right through the center of the city with four small rapids downtown.
With the extensive $10 million infrastructure in place for an upgraded Main Street and Riverwalk, several community groups are working on additional beautification concepts that could turn the Riverwalk into an even more enchanting attraction than it already has become.
Columbus, Indiana City Hall
Note that Columbus has upgraded may of its existing buildings for modern use. Not all of them are original construction. West Bend, too, has preserved historic buildings like the Old Courthouse, the old City Hall, The Hub coffee shop, and The Bend Theater.
Columbus has shown medium-size cities how to be visionary. West Bend has been following a similar path.
We, like Columbus, should be proud of what our community has accomplished, and we should continue to be bold going forward.
No one person pulls off a transformation. It takes many determined futurists thinking about the next generations.
