Today in Wheeling History: December 26--The Wheeling/Ohio County Convention and Visitors Bureau finalizes the purchase of the land that the former Wheeling Inn sits on, securing the riverfront gateway site for future redevelopment (2023).
The former Wheeling Inn, at 949 Main Street beside the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, had long been one of the first impressions motorists received when exiting Interstate 70 into downtown. Once a busy hotel on the city’s riverfront, it became increasingly associated with nuisance calls and visible decline, prompting growing calls for action. After several years of negotiations, the Wheeling/Ohio County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) acquired the property for about $1.7 million, completing the deal and taking full control of the land by late 2023. Local officials praised the purchase as a major step toward reshaping Wheeling’s primary “gateway” and improving the visual corridor along the National Road approach into the city.
With ownership secured, the CVB proceeded toward demolition of the deteriorated structure, a process celebrated as the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter for the riverfront. By early 2025, demolition was complete, revealing—for the first time in decades—an unobstructed view of the Suspension Bridge from Main Street. The CVB has proposed a “Wheeling Gateway Visitors and Heritage Center” on the site, supported in part by federal earmarks, envisioning a welcome center that interprets local history while serving as a hub for tourism and downtown activity. Community discussion continues as plans are refined, but the purchase firmly repositioned the parcel as a civic asset rather than a liability.
To learn more: WTOV9 (https://tinyurl.com/y694hsha), Lede News (https://tinyurl.com/y2d3cf2n), The Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/7udnjstn), WTRF (https://tinyurl.com/nhcmw9c4), Wheeling CVB (https://tinyurl.com/y694hsha)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Google Maps
The former Wheeling Inn, at 949 Main Street beside the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, had long been one of the first impressions motorists received when exiting Interstate 70 into downtown. Once a busy hotel on the city’s riverfront, it became increasingly associated with nuisance calls and visible decline, prompting growing calls for action. After several years of negotiations, the Wheeling/Ohio County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) acquired the property for about $1.7 million, completing the deal and taking full control of the land by late 2023. Local officials praised the purchase as a major step toward reshaping Wheeling’s primary “gateway” and improving the visual corridor along the National Road approach into the city.
With ownership secured, the CVB proceeded toward demolition of the deteriorated structure, a process celebrated as the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter for the riverfront. By early 2025, demolition was complete, revealing—for the first time in decades—an unobstructed view of the Suspension Bridge from Main Street. The CVB has proposed a “Wheeling Gateway Visitors and Heritage Center” on the site, supported in part by federal earmarks, envisioning a welcome center that interprets local history while serving as a hub for tourism and downtown activity. Community discussion continues as plans are refined, but the purchase firmly repositioned the parcel as a civic asset rather than a liability.
To learn more: WTOV9 (https://tinyurl.com/y694hsha), Lede News (https://tinyurl.com/y2d3cf2n), The Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/7udnjstn), WTRF (https://tinyurl.com/nhcmw9c4), Wheeling CVB (https://tinyurl.com/y694hsha)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Google Maps
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