Today in Wheeling History: March 27--The Harry C. and Jessie F. Franzheim House on Wheeling Island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1989).
The Harry C. and Jessie F. Franzheim House at 404 South Front Street is one of Wheeling Island’s most architecturally significant late‑nineteenth‑century residences. Built in 1897, the home was designed by noted Wheeling architect Edward Bates Franzheim for his own brother, Harry C. Franzheim, a prominent furniture dealer and partner in the long‑established firm House & Herrmann. Harry lived in the home with his wife, Jessie F. Franzheim, a respected civic figure known for her involvement in charitable and cultural organizations.
The house is a remarkably intact example of the Shingle Style, a form rarely seen in the Ohio Valley. Its continuous wood‑shingle cladding, cross‑gambrel roof, and paired round towers create a unified, sculptural exterior that reflects Edward Bates Franzheim’s mastery of complex residential design. The broad river‑facing porch, Ionic columns, and curved‑glass tower windows reveal both the family’s social standing and the architect’s interest in blending picturesque massing with classical detail.
Although later alterations—such as an enclosed porch—were added during the early twentieth century, the house retains the essential features of Franzheim’s original composition. Its preservation offers a rare window into the lifestyle of an upper‑middle‑class Wheeling Island family during a period when the island served simultaneously as a residential enclave, recreational destination, and gateway to the city. The home’s architectural integrity and its direct association with one of Wheeling’s leading architectural families led to its individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places on March 27, 1989.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/4k484sdx), NRHP Nomination PDF (https://tinyurl.com/4usmcb49), Waymarking (https://tinyurl.com/25ct5vnk)
Photo caption and credit: The Harry C. and Jesse F. Franzheim House at 404 S. Front Street on Wheeling Island in West Virginia. The house is pictured from its western facade. The house is on the NRHP. Taken March 28, 2010. (Bwsmith84 via Wikimedia Commons)
The Harry C. and Jessie F. Franzheim House at 404 South Front Street is one of Wheeling Island’s most architecturally significant late‑nineteenth‑century residences. Built in 1897, the home was designed by noted Wheeling architect Edward Bates Franzheim for his own brother, Harry C. Franzheim, a prominent furniture dealer and partner in the long‑established firm House & Herrmann. Harry lived in the home with his wife, Jessie F. Franzheim, a respected civic figure known for her involvement in charitable and cultural organizations.
The house is a remarkably intact example of the Shingle Style, a form rarely seen in the Ohio Valley. Its continuous wood‑shingle cladding, cross‑gambrel roof, and paired round towers create a unified, sculptural exterior that reflects Edward Bates Franzheim’s mastery of complex residential design. The broad river‑facing porch, Ionic columns, and curved‑glass tower windows reveal both the family’s social standing and the architect’s interest in blending picturesque massing with classical detail.
Although later alterations—such as an enclosed porch—were added during the early twentieth century, the house retains the essential features of Franzheim’s original composition. Its preservation offers a rare window into the lifestyle of an upper‑middle‑class Wheeling Island family during a period when the island served simultaneously as a residential enclave, recreational destination, and gateway to the city. The home’s architectural integrity and its direct association with one of Wheeling’s leading architectural families led to its individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places on March 27, 1989.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/4k484sdx), NRHP Nomination PDF (https://tinyurl.com/4usmcb49), Waymarking (https://tinyurl.com/25ct5vnk)
Photo caption and credit: The Harry C. and Jesse F. Franzheim House at 404 S. Front Street on Wheeling Island in West Virginia. The house is pictured from its western facade. The house is on the NRHP. Taken March 28, 2010. (Bwsmith84 via Wikimedia Commons)
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