Capito announced $5,642,000 has been earmarked for the community center – also known as the Pine Room or Hess Hall – which was built in 1936 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal-era infrastructure program. The funding will support much-needed repairs as the historic structure approaches its 100-year mark.

The appropriations will primarily be used to restore the building’s facade, including its locally quarried sandstone and wood exterior.

“It’s really about the exterior of the building and restoring that to its grandeur,” said Eriks Janelsins, president and CEO of the Oglebay Foundation. “We have ideas about how to bring more of the community in here, but we have to address the building first to make sure it remains structurally sound. We are grateful to Sen. Capito for her leadership in securing this funding.”

During her tour, Capito noted the craftsmanship preserved inside the building.

From left, Wheeling Park Commission President and CEO Bob Peckenpaugh, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, former Oglebay Park President Randy Worls, park donor Rocky Fitzsimmons and Oglebay Foundation President and CEO Eriks Janelsins pose for a photo after touring the Crispin Center at Oglebay Park. Capito helped secure $5,642,000 to renovate the exterior of the historic structure. (Photo by Stephanie Elverd)

“This is all hand-done,” she said, pointing out the detailed interior work. She added that the funding will ensure the exterior is restored to match the quality and historic character of the interior.

That’s the plan, according to Bob Peckenpaugh, president and CEO of the Wheeling Park Commission, who said the new funding will allow the commission to focus on the building’s infrastructure and exterior shell.

“We were able to complete some interior work previously, and this funding will take care of the outside shell and infrastructure,” Peckenpaugh said. “This building is used by the community for everything from high school proms to nonprofit fundraisers to weddings. We hope to keep it around for another 100 years.”

“It’s used for beautiful community gatherings,” Capito added. “It just needs a little modernizing. The Wheeling Park Commission has great plans to expand recreation in the area and keep Oglebay growing, and I’m happy to help by securing this funding.”

In addition to the $5.6 million secured for renovations at Oglebay’s Crispin Center, two other major projects received significant federal support. The Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau was awarded $5 million in FY24 funding for construction of the Wheeling Gateway Center, a project aimed at strengthening tourism infrastructure and enhancing the city’s entrance and riverfront development. The bureau also received an additional $2 million in FY26 funding to support the Gateway Center’s outdoor riverfront plaza and trail connections, further expanding public access and recreational opportunities.

From left, Wheeling Park Commission President and CEO Bob Peckenpaugh, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Oglebay Foundation President and CEO Eriks Janelsins view the exterior of the Crispin Center at Oglebay Park. Capito helped secure $5,642,000 to renovate the exterior of the historic structure. (Photo by Stephanie Elverd)

Another substantial investment went to Florence Crittenton, Inc., which received $3,042,000 in FY24 funding to expand its Center for Young Women and Children. The funding will allow for the construction of two specialized, high-acuity therapeutic homes designed to serve young girls, mothers and babies with complex behavioral and mental health needs.

Additional allocations included $2 million to the City of Wheeling for reconstruction and drainage improvements along Northern Parkway; $1,550,000 to the Wheeling Fire Department for facility maintenance and equipment upgrades; and $250,000 to the Wheeling Police Department to establish four Neighborhood Resource Units aimed at addressing crime trends and quality-of-life concerns. An additional $500,000 was directed to West Virginia Independence Hall and the West Virginia Department of Tourism for exterior repairs to the historic building.

Robert Herron, city manager for the City of Wheeling, praised the structure and accountability of the Congressionally Directed Spending process.

“The Congressionally Directed Spending Program has really been beneficial to this community, and we’re very blessed that our federal legislators, led by Sen. Capito, have really spearheaded a number of very, very important projects through that process — and it is a process. It’s not like it used to be where there were earmarks and you’d have the potential for a ‘bridge to nowhere.’ Now there’s a set process that is followed, and I think that it’s very productive, not only for our community but for the general federal taxpayer at large.”

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito tours the Crispin Center at Oglebay Park with Randy Worls, who served as president and CEO of the park for four decades, on Tuesday. Worls, who established the Oglebay Foundation before retiring, began working at the park at age 16. Capito helped secure $5,642,000 in funding to renovate the post-depression-era structure. (Photo by Stephanie Elverd)

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito tours the interior of the Crispin Center at Oglebay Park with Bob Peckenpaugh, president and CEO of the Wheeling Park Commission, which oversees the park, on Tuesday. Capito helped secure $5,642,000 in funding to renovate the post-depression-era structure. (Photo by Stephanie Elverd)