Photo by Derek Redd Wheeling Park Commission President and CEO Bob Peckenpaugh stands beside the hearth of the new Trace Chop House that will soon open at Wilson Lodge. The hearth is built with logs from the Zane family's 18th-century home.

WHEELING – As Bob Peckenpaugh, president and CEO of the Wheeling Park Commission, sought input on Oglebay Park’s Wilson Lodge, a common thread appeared. The lodge is a beloved part of Oglebay and Wheeling, but it needed to be re-energized.

“The lodge is cherished,” he said Wednesday. “It’s wonderful. It’s historic. There’s all sorts of great things about it, but in many ways it was tired as well.”

What came next was a multi-phase plan to evolve Wilson Lodge and give it the shot in the arm that many have wanted. A large part of that evolution is coming in the lodge’s dining options.

Soon, guests will be welcomed to a new era of dining at Wilson Lodge – with new restaurants and new menus – that reinvigorates current spaces, but takes care to honor the history of the park and the community.

“The thread that will carry it through,” he said, “is that it’s going to look like a modern version of a historic lodge.”

The lodge’s former Glassworks Grill and Ihlenfeld Dining Room have been transformed, making way for the new Trace Chop House, which will provide an intimate, high-quality dining experience, and Skyline Kitchen and Bar, which will offer gastropub dishes against the backdrop of Oglebay Park’s stunning vista. The restaurants should be open to the public in the next 30 to 45 days, Peckenpaugh said.

The Trace Chop House was the answer to multiple requests for new dining offerings, Peckenpaugh said.

“The idea actually came from countless conversations I’ve had with members of the community,” he said. “When we said ‘Hey, we’re talking about renovating the food at Wilson Lodge. What do you think?’ And countless people were saying ‘You’ve got to put some sort of steakhouse or chop house in there. We’ve got to have a great place to get that really nice meal and satisfy those urges that we have for dining.'”

The name for the Trace Chop House is inspired by the area’s pioneer history, Peckenpaugh said, and National Road’s mile-marker lined path that guided trail blazers’, or “tracers'” journey west. The restaurant will sit where the entrance to the Ihlenfeld Dining Room once existed. The 54-seat area will offer etched stones, artisan leather elements and feature a hearth built from logs gifted to Oglebay by the Zane family from its 18th-century home. The Trace Chop House will offer a collection of Old World and New World wines, premium steaks and quality seafood.

There also will be a door that leads to a modern take on the speakeasy, which will open for those who know the code word.

The Skyline Kitchen and Bar melds the former sites of the Glassworks Grill and Ihlenfeld Dining Room into one experience. The wall that once divided the two is gone, and guests will be able to see the full view of Oglebay’s skyline – hence the name – from the huge windows that line the back. The gastropub menu is inspired by nostalgic and regional favorites, and the space will feature an open display kitchen.

Peckenpaugh said the popular buffets like the breakfast buffet, Lenten buffet and Festival of Lights buffet will remain, but the tables and chafing dishes will be replaced by induction display units.

“It will look and feel better,” he said.

The Ihlenfeld family will continue to be honored in the space with the Ihlenfeld Room, Peckenpaugh said. It will celebrate the family’s legacy of philanthropy, while offering pop-up surprise menus.

Great care was taken through the entire process to honor the legacy of Oglebay Park and the Wilson Lodge, Peckenpaugh said.

“We’ve heard loud and clear to not make it look like a chain of hotels, to not make it look like a chain restaurant,” he said. “We want to make sure it maintains the history and the presence.”

Other parts of the lodge will see new aspects to its dining options. Sarita’s Coffee will become Sarita’s Coffee and Goods. The coffee and food will move into what was the lodge’s gift shop. There will still be opportunities to buy apparel and keepsakes, but the location now will feature barista-style coffee drinks, baked pastries and grab-and-go foods. There will be indoor seating, plus patio bistro seating outside.

The Hickman Bar and Grill, which has provided dining space for lodge guests throughout the renovation, will become the Hickman Lounge. It will include a full bar, and also feature a garden-to-glass beverage menu. Patrons can enjoy traditional drinks along with specialty cocktails with spirits infused with herbs and spices grown in Oglebay’s own greenhouses.

Peckenpaugh said about 75% to 80% of the renovation project’s total cost – around $8 million – went into the restaurants. Much of that work has been funded by an Economic Development Administration grant with additional support from the Oglebay Foundation.

“These updates align with our mission of preserving Oglebay’s legacy while enriching the park experience for generations to come, especially as we approach Oglebay’s centenary in 2028,” said Oglebay Foundation President and CEO Eriks Janelsins.

Peckenpaugh understands the balance that must be kept with Wilson Lodge and Oglebay Park. They need to be a place that travelers from afar will flock to for its amenities, while maintaining its stature for the Ohio Valley residents who have enjoyed Oglebay for nearly a century. He believes these evolved dining experiences will satisfy those in the valley who have loved the park and the lodge for so long.

“I think through our consistent service levels, the wonderful people and staff that we have, and the new element of food that we’ll be presenting, I hope they feel like they’ve arrived at home,” he said.