Today in Wheeling History: May 28--Edemar (Stifel Fine Arts Center), the Stifel family’s National Road mansion, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1992).
Edemar, now known as the Stifel Fine Arts Center, is one of Wheeling’s most imposing early twentieth‑century residences and a vivid expression of the city’s industrial wealth along the National Road. Built between 1910 and 1912–1914 for Edward W. Stifel Sr., president and chairman of J. L. Stifel & Sons, the mansion’s name combines the names of his children: Edward, Emily, and Mary. The 2½‑story Classical Revival house, designed by Wheeling architect‑engineer Charles W. Bates, is constructed of brick and concrete over a steel frame, reflecting Stifel’s insistence on fireproof construction. A monumental full‑width Corinthian portico dominates the façade, with terra‑cotta columns and trim masking the underlying steel structure. Inside, the roughly thirty‑nine room plan features a grand central staircase, marble-floored hall, parquet floors, and decorative stained glass referencing the Stifel family’s ancestral castle at Neuffen, Germany. The several‑acre estate once included formal gardens, a fish pond, tennis court, putting green, picnic area, and swimming pool, along with a brick carriage barn/garage. In 1976, after the death of Stifel’s widow, the family deeded Edemar to Oglebay Institute, which adapted the property for galleries, classrooms, and offices while preserving much of its original character. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, Edemar today anchors Wheeling’s arts community as a public cultural landmark.
To learn more: West Virginia Encyclopedia (https://tinyurl.com/mfmvm8hk), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2fchwbs2), SAH Archipedia (https://tinyurl.com/exw38d63), West Virginia Tourism (https://tinyurl.com/3dxpr6y8), Oglebay Institute (https://tinyurl.com/3v2tec8b)
Photo caption and credit: Edemar—now the Stifel Fine Arts Center—at 1330 National Road in Wheeling, West Virginia, photographed on April 2, 2010. The east‑facing Classical Revival mansion, built for the Stifel family and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Ref. #91001728), remains one of the city’s most prominent early‑20th‑century residences. [Photograph by Bwsmith84, April 2, 2010. Courtesy of the photographer. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY 3.0)]
Edemar, now known as the Stifel Fine Arts Center, is one of Wheeling’s most imposing early twentieth‑century residences and a vivid expression of the city’s industrial wealth along the National Road. Built between 1910 and 1912–1914 for Edward W. Stifel Sr., president and chairman of J. L. Stifel & Sons, the mansion’s name combines the names of his children: Edward, Emily, and Mary. The 2½‑story Classical Revival house, designed by Wheeling architect‑engineer Charles W. Bates, is constructed of brick and concrete over a steel frame, reflecting Stifel’s insistence on fireproof construction. A monumental full‑width Corinthian portico dominates the façade, with terra‑cotta columns and trim masking the underlying steel structure. Inside, the roughly thirty‑nine room plan features a grand central staircase, marble-floored hall, parquet floors, and decorative stained glass referencing the Stifel family’s ancestral castle at Neuffen, Germany. The several‑acre estate once included formal gardens, a fish pond, tennis court, putting green, picnic area, and swimming pool, along with a brick carriage barn/garage. In 1976, after the death of Stifel’s widow, the family deeded Edemar to Oglebay Institute, which adapted the property for galleries, classrooms, and offices while preserving much of its original character. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, Edemar today anchors Wheeling’s arts community as a public cultural landmark.
To learn more: West Virginia Encyclopedia (https://tinyurl.com/mfmvm8hk), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2fchwbs2), SAH Archipedia (https://tinyurl.com/exw38d63), West Virginia Tourism (https://tinyurl.com/3dxpr6y8), Oglebay Institute (https://tinyurl.com/3v2tec8b)
Photo caption and credit: Edemar—now the Stifel Fine Arts Center—at 1330 National Road in Wheeling, West Virginia, photographed on April 2, 2010. The east‑facing Classical Revival mansion, built for the Stifel family and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Ref. #91001728), remains one of the city’s most prominent early‑20th‑century residences. [Photograph by Bwsmith84, April 2, 2010. Courtesy of the photographer. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY 3.0)]
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