Wheeling, WV: Large section of East Wheeling Historic District soon to be demolished

beyondtheforest · #1 Posted: **Jul 19, 2011, 8:05 PM**

The city of Wheeling, West Virginia presents a dilemma for historic preservationists. On one hand, the city has perhaps the best and most intact collection of mid-19th century Victorian architecture in the midwest. On the other hand, a great deal of that architecture is falling apart, due to neglect and abandonment (the city's population has fallen to less than half of its peak level, when it was the largest city in the state). Wheeling was once a very elegant and wealthy city, and a major center for commerce. Much of that elegance is still intact, but it is slowly rotting and being bulldozed away.

The Mayor of Wheeling has proposed to demolish a large section of East Wheeling (a National Historic District) for a baseball field. This neighborhood, adjacent to downtown Wheeling, contains a large collection of Victorians, many of which were built before the Civil War.

I have taken care to photograph every building in the section, bordered by 15th Street, 16th Street, Wood St., and McColloch St., which may soon be only a memory, of a time when Wheeling was a city of pride, elegance, and optimism, as reflected in its buildings.

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relnahe · #2 Posted: **Jul 19, 2011, 8:10 PM**

No way! The possible demo of this neighborhood is a damn slap in the face! What is wrong with this country that we let such beautiful architecture go to waste because of shameful greed?

Centropolis · #3 Posted: **Jul 19, 2011, 8:13 PM**

ugggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Thanks for the photos..

beyondtheforest · #4 Posted: **Jul 19, 2011, 8:17 PM**

If you agree that demolishing these buildings in East Wheeling would be a mistake, please contact the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and voice your concerns. Thank you.

Thundertubs · #5 Posted: **Jul 19, 2011, 9:14 PM**

That sucks! In the absence of a burst of economic vitality, it's hard to see what would happen to this block other than continued rotting, but at least it still has a chance that way. I hate seeing stuff like this meet the wrecking ball.

Ex-Ithacan · #6 Posted: **Jul 19, 2011, 10:51 PM**

^ I think Tt has hit the nail on the head. I certainly don't want to see so many old beauties knocked down, but who is to save them? A few look beyond hope. Where are the new occupants and rehabbers to come from? It's sad, but it happens in many older rust belt cities.

JivecitySTL · #7 Posted: **Jul 19, 2011, 11:39 PM**

This is a crime. Where are the preservationists?

photoLith · #8 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 12:16 AM**

That breaks my heart, but when a city has lost half its population and then the rest probably live in shit suburbs, what do you expect? I bet if there werent any suburbs, assuming there are some in Wheeling, than Im sure all of these absolutely incredible buildings could be renovated and saved but no, people would rather live in their big stupid houses with big stupid lawns they pay Mexicans to mow because thats the American Dream.

Thanks for those links beyondtheforest, I contacted a few of those people, doubtful that it will do anything but its the least I could do here in Houston. If I lived in WV, I would be driving there and knocking down the door at the county courthouse to demand these buildings be saved.

glowrock · #9 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 12:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyondtheforest

If you agree that demolishing these buildings in East Wheeling would be a mistake, please contact the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and voice your concerns. Thank you.

It's certainly a mistake, but how in the hell do you fix the problem, which of course is that these buildings are quite literally falling apart and are now completely structurally unsound? Short of tens of millions in funding that I'm sure that neither Wheeling or West Virginia has, I'm not sure what can be done here.

Aaron (Glowrock)

glowrock · #10 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 12:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photolitherland

That breaks my heart, but when a city has lost half its population and then the rest probably live in shit suburbs, what do you expect? I bet if there werent any suburbs, assuming there are some in Wheeling, than Im sure all of these absolutely incredible buildings could be renovated and saved but no, people would rather live in their big stupid houses with big stupid lawns they pay Mexicans to mow because thats the American Dream.

Thanks for those links beyondtheforest, I contacted a few of those people, doubtful that it will do anything but its the least I could do here in Houston. If I lived in WV, I would be driving there and knocking down the door at the county courthouse to demand these buildings be saved.

There are a few suburban parts of Wheeling, specifically off of I-70 at Exit 10, which is where Cabela's is, along with most of the main shopping and restaurant chains.

I agree, this is a sad situation, but Wheeling was built for a population well over twice what it's current population is. Wheeling is probably doing okay right now financially given the casino/racetrack, the arena, and what appears to be a downtown area with some hope of significant renovation, but sometimes otherwise-preservation worthy properties will simply fall to demolition due to abandonment issues.

Aaron (Glworock)

beyondtheforest · #11 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 1:37 AM**

It's probably a hopeless situation for these buildings, and maybe all of the historic buildings in Wheeling. The city is doing its best to turn the whole place into a parking lot for the casino.

But I thought the least I could do was put up a fight the only way I knew how, and document the buildings that will be coming down.

beyondtheforest · #12 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 1:39 AM**

Oh, and I think there are a great deal of buildings on that block which are not structurally unsound, but just in need of TLC.

ColDayMan · #13 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 2:10 AM**

Such a shame.

JManc · #14 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 2:37 AM**

I'd rather see these buildings knocked down rather than let them continue to fall apart because lets face it, given the economics of the area, the odds of someone/ something buying these structures and breathing new life into them are next to nothing.

Muji · #15 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 2:57 AM**

Thanks for taking the time to document and share the neighborhood. Personally, I'd much rather see the buildings continue to decay on their own rather than have them torn down for a baseball stadium. That would be too much to stomach.

beyondtheforest · #16 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 4:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMancuso

I'd rather see these buildings knocked down rather than let them continue to fall apart because lets face it, given the economics of the area, the odds of someone/ something buying these structures and breathing new life into them are next to nothing.

Many of these buildings are only in the poor condition that they are in because the city owns them and is letting them decay further until demolition is inevitable (to meet their own goal of putting a ballpark there).

There are property owners on the block who refuse to sell to the city, and the city plans to seize those properties by eminent domain.

Comrade Reynolds · #17 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 8:26 AM**

Fuck me sideways.

Strange Meat · #18 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 9:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyondtheforest

Many of these buildings are only in the poor condition that they are in because the city owns them and is letting them decay further until demolition is inevitable (to meet their own goal of putting a ballpark there).

There are property owners on the block who refuse to sell to the city, and the city plans to seize those properties by eminent domain.

It's crappy, as had been said, I mean, that all could be a cool neighborhood, but, is the growth potential there?

That said, good work on the documentation and keep it up as much as you can.

Centropolis · #19 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 1:54 PM**

What stings is that these homes are my ideal residential urban scale and quality. There is some variation in styling and even setback, rowhomes mixed with tightly spaced townhouses...it's perfect.

beyondtheforest · #20 Posted: **Jul 20, 2011, 6:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Centropolis

What stings is that these homes are my ideal residential urban scale and quality. There is some variation in styling and even setback, rowhomes mixed with tightly spaced townhouses...it's perfect.

My dream is to own a house like this but, unfortunately, where I live (Pittsburgh), houses like those sell for upwards of $150,000, if they can even be found. The ones that are in depressed neighborhoods that I could otherwise afford are being torn down. In Wheeling, houses like those are getting harder to come by, because they are being torn down.