City-County+Building

State Capital Building; City-County Building
1500 Chapline Street //built 1876, demolished 1956; 1956 ugly building photo at bottom// toc

Originally built as the State Capital Building in 1876, but when the capital moved to Charleston in 1885 it became the City-County Building. The two colored postcard views show changes. In the left, earlier view, cupolas grace each corner tower, but they (and the clock tower) are removed in the right image. The trees have just been planted on the left and are tall on the right (except for ones on the front that have been cut down). The engraving (from an unknown source) shows no vegetation at all. This beautiful building was replaced in 1960 by the ugly City-County structure at 16th and Chapline streets. Shame on Wheeling.

Paxton Fountain in front of City-County Building. //From Chuck Julian collection, dated 1910.//

//Below: 6 more postcards from Chuck Julian Collection.// Undated view from first decade of 20th century. The small elevated structure at lower left. A similar tiny building was next to Independence Hall in the early 1900s. Were these related to the streetcars?

1908 postcard.

1909 postcard. Note tree growth since 1908 above.

1934 postcard.

1917 postcard. This the next view are from the around the corner compared to earlier views, revealing the old City Jail on the next block.

1914 postcard
Note City Jail in background.

City letterhead from 1900s, at time many of these postcard photos were made. From Chuck Julian collection.

1956 Building
Do you sense any civic pride in this building? I would say that the tearing down of the old building and replacing it with this marks the instant of Wheeling's demise as a city.

Construction/demolition dates source: Dunham (2003)