Today in Wheeling History: August 26—E.B. Potts sells the Grand Central Hotel to Jacob Sentlinger Jr. for $175,000, a record-setting Market Street property sale (1922).
The Grand Central Hotel was a prominent seven-story structure located at 1145–1147 Market Street in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia. Built by businessman E.B. Potts in the early 1900s, the hotel quickly became a central fixture in Wheeling’s commercial and hospitality landscape. In December 1902, the Security Trust Company leased the first floor of the building, officially opening its offices there on February 27, 1903. The remainder of the hotel was operated by Charles E. Van Keuren, who ran a modern restaurant and lodging service. The building’s prime location and elegant design made it ideal for both business and leisure.
On November 28, 1917, the Security Trust Company vacated the Grand Central Hotel, ending a 14-year occupancy on Market Street. In a landmark transaction on August 26, 1922, E.B. Potts sold the hotel to Jacob Sentlinger Jr. for $175,000, setting a record price per square foot for Market Street property. Two years later, Julius Goldman Stores, Inc. acquired the building and converted the lower floors into retail space.
In October 1929, the hotel was renamed the Jefferson Hotel. It struggled during the Great Depression and filed for bankruptcy on February 7, 1933. On June 15, 1936, the Jefferson Hotel relocated to the old Stamm House Hotel on Water Street. The original Grand Central Hotel building was eventually demolished to make way for a J.C. McCrory five-and-dime store, marking the end of an era in Wheeling’s architectural and commercial history.
To learn more: Grand Central Hotel history at Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/2rpj6mmm) (https://tinyurl.com/43kezpdm); Edwin Bruce Potts Sr. - Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/mwbzn6na), Jacob Sentlingar - Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/38t3jm27)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave
The Grand Central Hotel was a prominent seven-story structure located at 1145–1147 Market Street in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia. Built by businessman E.B. Potts in the early 1900s, the hotel quickly became a central fixture in Wheeling’s commercial and hospitality landscape. In December 1902, the Security Trust Company leased the first floor of the building, officially opening its offices there on February 27, 1903. The remainder of the hotel was operated by Charles E. Van Keuren, who ran a modern restaurant and lodging service. The building’s prime location and elegant design made it ideal for both business and leisure.
On November 28, 1917, the Security Trust Company vacated the Grand Central Hotel, ending a 14-year occupancy on Market Street. In a landmark transaction on August 26, 1922, E.B. Potts sold the hotel to Jacob Sentlinger Jr. for $175,000, setting a record price per square foot for Market Street property. Two years later, Julius Goldman Stores, Inc. acquired the building and converted the lower floors into retail space.
In October 1929, the hotel was renamed the Jefferson Hotel. It struggled during the Great Depression and filed for bankruptcy on February 7, 1933. On June 15, 1936, the Jefferson Hotel relocated to the old Stamm House Hotel on Water Street. The original Grand Central Hotel building was eventually demolished to make way for a J.C. McCrory five-and-dime store, marking the end of an era in Wheeling’s architectural and commercial history.
To learn more: Grand Central Hotel history at Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/2rpj6mmm) (https://tinyurl.com/43kezpdm); Edwin Bruce Potts Sr. - Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/mwbzn6na), Jacob Sentlingar - Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/38t3jm27)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave
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