West Virginia Independence Hall facts for kids
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West Virginia Independence Hall
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 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1528 Market St., Wheeling, West Virginia |
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| Built | 1859 |
| Architect | Ammi B. Young; Alfred B. Mullett |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000660 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 26, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | June 20, 1988 |
West Virginia Independence Hall is a very important old building located at 1528 Market Street in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia. It was built in 1860 by the government. It served as a custom house, a post office, and a courthouse.
This building is special because of how it was built. It used new ways of building with strong metal frames. It's also super important in history, especially during the American Civil War. Many big meetings happened here, like the Wheeling Convention in 1861. These meetings led to West Virginia becoming its own state, separate from Virginia. This was unique because West Virginia was the only state to break away from a Confederate state during the war.
The building was first the main custom house for the western part of Virginia. From 1861 to 1863, it was the center of government for the "Restored Government of Virginia." Francis Harrison Pierpont was its governor. In 1988, it was named a National Historic Landmark. Today, it's a museum run by the state, showing exhibits about West Virginia's history.
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Building Design and Features
West Virginia Independence Hall is in downtown Wheeling. It's close to where Wheeling Creek meets the Ohio River. It's a three-story building made of strong stone blocks.
Outside Look
The building looks like an early example of Renaissance Revival style. This means it has features like those found in old European buildings. It has round-arch windows and doors. The main entrance has a series of arches. The ground floor has deep, rough-looking stone joints. There are also stone bands between each floor. At the top, under the roof, there's a decorative ledge with small block shapes.
Inside Structure
Inside, you'll see more round-arch doorways, just like outside. The most interesting part of the inside is its strong metal frame. It uses wrought iron beams. These beams were made using a new method at the time. This building is one of the first to use these types of metal beams. Its frame is a great example of early metal building construction.
Changes Over Time
The building has been changed many times since it was built. But many of these changes have been undone. The goal was to make the building look like the original architect, Ammi B. Young, wanted it to. Young's first roof design was too flat for rain to drain well. So, in the late 1860s, the roof was made steeper by Alfred B. Mullett. Later, a fourth floor was added, which raised the roof even more. During a big restoration, the fourth floor was removed. However, Mullett's steeper roof design was kept.
A Look Back: The Hall's History
The United States government built this hall in 1859 for several important jobs. Wheeling was a busy port city on the Ohio River. Because of this, it needed a custom house to handle goods coming in and out. This building was made to be that custom house. It also held a federal court and the local post office.
Courthouse Role
As a courthouse, it was home to different federal courts over the years. It housed the federal court for the Western District of Virginia from 1860 to 1864. Then, it became the court for the District of West Virginia from 1864 to 1901. Finally, it was the court for the Northern District of West Virginia from 1901 to 1907.
Birthplace of West Virginia
When the American Civil War started in 1861, many people in northwestern Virginia did not want to leave the Union. Even though other federal buildings were taken over, the Wheeling custom house was not. It became a meeting place for those who wanted to stay with the Union.
The Wheeling Convention in May 1861 took place here. At this meeting, people first talked about separating from Virginia. This part of Virginia had strong economic ties to the Union states nearby. A second, smaller meeting happened here in June 1861. This meeting created the "Restored Government of Virginia." The United States government recognized this as the official government of Virginia during the war. This government stayed in the building until 1863.
The meeting that wrote the first constitution for West Virginia also happened here. The building was even used as a place to store weapons for the West Virginia militia.
Later Years and Restoration
In 1907, the federal government built a new building. They sold West Virginia Independence Hall. A company called Conservative Life Insurance Company bought most of it. They added a three-story part and the fourth floor. In 1963, for the state's 100th birthday, West Virginia bought the building. In 1969, money was set aside to restore it. The goal was to make it look like it did during the Civil War.
See also
