Wheeling's rich architectural history has led to many buildings being saved and restored to their original grandeur. Whether the historic Hobbs Brockunier house in South Wheeling should be among those rehabilitated structures is currently up for discussion, as the Friends of Wheeling group is considering if it should purchase and restore the home before it meets the wrecking ball.
The home's current owner is Kristan Peng of Clinton, Washington. She has it listed for sale for $30,000, and said if it is not sold, she will instead pay to have it demolished. Peng estimated is would cost a minimum of several hundred thousand dollars to restore the 7,000 square-foot structure to livable condition.
The home once belonged to John L. Hobbs, founder of the South Wheeling Glass Works of Hobbs, Brockunier & Co., a 19th-century South Wheeling business. That's where the Friends of Wheeling comes in. Members are working to see if they can find funding to purchase and restore the home.
"We did meet, but we still have not decided on a direction. We're still considering options," Friends of Wheeling president Jeanne Finstein said.
Consider quickly, as these facts about the home call for quick action:
n The home sits directly behind Wheeling Middle School, and a short walk from Ritchie Elementary School. Children pass the structure each day. The last thing anyone wants is for a group of kids to enter the building.
n The home is literally falling in on itself. That affects those living in the neighborhood.
n The structure has been under a raze or repair order for several years. If it is going to be restored, it needs to start now -- particularly as the owner is willing to bring it down.
What's clear to us is that a decision on the Hobbs house needs to come sooner rather than later. Allowing the home to continue to stand in its current condition is unacceptable.