Story and Video: Friends of Wheeling Recognizes Outstanding Preservation Projects

Photo by Eric Ayres

WHEELING - A who’s who of preservationists and lovers of local history gathered together Monday night to recognize some of the most notable efforts among them as the Friends of Wheeling presented its annual Historic Preservation Awards.

The Friends of Wheeling, West Virginia’s oldest historic preservation organization, held the event at the Ohio County Public Library on Monday evening. Following the awards ceremony, the group also highlighted dozens of other historic preservation projects in town - some renovations that have been completed and some that are ongoing - during a Preservation Forum.

Although there are many significant projects taking place in Wheeling, the annual awards ceremony is always limited to three special honorees. This year, awards went to Osiris Shrine for their work to preserve Monument Place in Elm Grove over the past century, to the Fort Henry Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution for their restoration and relocation of the McColloch’s Leap Monument along National Road on Wheeling Hill, and to West Virginia Northern Community College and the Smith Family of Workshops of Neffs for outstanding renovation of the facade of the historic B&O Building in downtown Wheeling.

"Every year, Friends of Wheeling grants three awards," said Jeanne Finstein, president of Friends of Wheeling. "These are awards to people who have done outstanding work in historic preservation. This year one of the awards was a duel award for a single project."

Monument Place

"Originally known as Shepherd Hall, the house was built in 1798 and is recognized as the oldest surviving building in Wheeling," Steve Suhler, treasurer of Friends of Wheeling, said. "Monument Place is closely tied to the history of the National Road."

The original owners, Moses and Lydia Shepherd, helped secure a route that passed by their home. They later erected a monument honoring Henry Clay, who supported the effort to bring the National Road to Wheeling.

"That monument gave the property its enduring name," Suhler said.

Although the monument itself no longer exists, the stone mansion and the property still does, thanks to the Osiris Shriners.

"When Osiris Shrine acquired the property 100 years ago, in 1926, the members accepted responsibility for a building that was already more than 125 years old," Suhler noted. "Their stewardship has continued for a century.”

Bruce McNeil, illustrious potentate of the Osiris Shrine, accepted the award of Outstanding Stewards of an Historic Property on behalf of not only the current members, but on behalf of generations of those who have cared for a treasured landmark in the community.

"This award doesn’t belong to just one person, it belongs to generations of Nobles, Ladies, families and members of our community who have cared about Monument Place and understood that the building is much more than brick and mortar," McNeil said. "Monument Place is a part of Wheeling’s history."

McNeil said those of the Osiris Shrine are not just the owners, they are the caretakers of Monument Place. He said the task is one that is neither easy nor inexpensive.

"Buildings like this do not survive simply because they are old, they survive because people decide that they are worth saving," McNeil said. "We intend to do everything we can to make sure that the next generation that walks through these doors is able to say ‘they took good care of this place.’"

McColloch’s Leap Monument

"The new McColloch’s Leap Monument with its restored original bronze plaque was a milestone in a three-year project undertaken by the Fort Henry Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution to observe the 250th anniversary of American Independence," said Linda Comins of the Friends of Wheeling board. "The monument now occupies an accessible parcel of land, donated by Ray Carney, at the top of Wheeling Hill."

This monument memorializes Major Samuel McColloch’s daring escape from hostile natives during the first siege of Fort Henry in September 1777. Surrounded by Native American warriors on Wheeling Hill, McColloch coaxed his horse over the cliff and into the creek bed far below before riding to safety at Van Meters Fort.

"A monument recognizing this feat was placed at the top of Wheeling Hill in 1917 by the Daughters of the Revolution," Comins said. "Over the years, the monument suffered from weathering, road widenings and deteriorating sideways, endangering the historic marker."

The Fort Henry Chapter, SAR, had the plaque removed and restored, and the stones from the original monument salvaged and reused at a new site across the street. The project has already received an Historic Preservation Award from the National Society, SAR.

Jay Frey, president of the Fort Henry Chapter, SAR, accepted the Friends of Wheeling’s award for Outstanding Preservation for the restoration and relocation of the McColloch’s Leap Monument.

"This was a heavy lift to raise $92,000, but we did it, and we did it two years before the 250th anniversary of American independence," Frey said.." This was our signature project as a gift to the city of Wheeling, and we’re very proud of it."

B&O Building Facade

The first Baltimore & Ohio Railroad trail arrived in Wheeling on Jan. 1, 1853. Peggy Niebergall of the Friends of Wheeling board said this ensured Wheeling’s position as a major gateway to the west. The B&O railroad transported Union soldiers and supplies through the city during the Civil War, and as the city grew and train traffic increased to 100 passenger cars running in and out of Wheeling daily, a need arose for a new passenger station.

On Sept. 3, 1908, the B&O Railroad opened its grand French Renaissance building in Wheeling.

After the railroad industry’s peak in Wheeling during the 1920s, passenger train usage declined until service to the city ended in 1961.

"In 1971, the station was selected to serve the growing needs of West Virginia Community College," Niebergall said. A multimillion dollar exterior renovation and complete interior remodeling took place at that time, and more recently, major restoration work to the historic building - including improvements to the grand windows and the cornice around the structure - was performed. "In May of 2024, the Smith Family of Workshops of Neffs began a two-year-long restoration of the historic building."

Jeff Sayre, chief financial officer of West Virginia Northern Community College, and Jon and Derrick Smith of the Smith Family of Workshops, accepted the award for Outstanding Renovation of the B&O Building facade.

"Our project turned out to be just a little more than $3 million, and we prioritized that money to make the difference where it belonged," Sayre said, thanking the state legislature for its assistance in providing funds for the overall restoration. "Our project started out as a little cleaning project. But we dug in and we found some real structural problems."

Sayre said WVNCC also recognizes the importance of its role as stewards of this historic landmark in Wheeling.

"It’s not an easy job to save an old building," Finstein said. “It’s sometimes easy and inexpensive to purchase an old building. Some out-of-town people have come here and found that out, but the construction cost and the renovation cost can be considerably more than the purchase price. So we need to recognize the work that people are doing, and we need to recognize the work that’s being done properly."