Today in Wheeling History: June 20—A nine‑foot bronze statue of Gov. Francis H. Pierpont, “Father of West Virginia,” is unveiled at the northwest corner of 16th Street and Market Street, in front of West Virginia Independence Hall, during West Virginia Day celebrations in downtown Wheeling (2015).
The Pierpont statue project grew out of efforts by the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corporation and the Francis H. Pierpont Statue Committee to give Wheeling a permanent public monument to the man who led the Restored Government of Virginia from the U.S. Custom House—now West Virginia Independence Hall—during the Civil War. Conceived around 2012 as a $135,000 heritage initiative, the statue was funded by the city of Wheeling, Ohio County, the West Virginia Legislature, and numerous private donors whose names appear on a plaque inside Independence Hall. Sculptor Gareth Curtiss of Montana was selected from a field of about twenty artists in 2013; his design depicts Pierpont holding the U.S. Constitution, symbolizing his insistence that loyal western Virginians remain in the Union and ultimately form a new state. The nine‑foot bronze figure, weighing roughly 1,200 pounds, was set on a granite base fabricated by Randall L. Gallagher Memorials of St. Clairsville and installed by Walters Construction of Wheeling. Assembly began in mid‑June 2015 and culminated in a June 20 unveiling tied to Wheeling Arts Fest and West Virginia Day, with remarks by local officials, historians, and members of the Pierpont family, affirming Wheeling as the “birthplace of West Virginia.”
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library – Archiving Wheeling [Pierpont statue photos] (https://tinyurl.com/3bvk3dj5), Ohio County Public Library – Francis Pierpont history (https://tinyurl.com/bdzpz5jd), Weelunk – “The ‘Father of West Virginia’ Returns” (https://tinyurl.com/mpk8e32n), The Intelligencer – “Installation of Pierpont Statue Begins Today” (https://tinyurl.com/4mudmtzx), Weirton Daily Times – “Wheeling unveils Pierpont statue” (https://tinyurl.com/3w5jv3jv)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Weelunk, Wheeling Intelligencer
The Pierpont statue project grew out of efforts by the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corporation and the Francis H. Pierpont Statue Committee to give Wheeling a permanent public monument to the man who led the Restored Government of Virginia from the U.S. Custom House—now West Virginia Independence Hall—during the Civil War. Conceived around 2012 as a $135,000 heritage initiative, the statue was funded by the city of Wheeling, Ohio County, the West Virginia Legislature, and numerous private donors whose names appear on a plaque inside Independence Hall. Sculptor Gareth Curtiss of Montana was selected from a field of about twenty artists in 2013; his design depicts Pierpont holding the U.S. Constitution, symbolizing his insistence that loyal western Virginians remain in the Union and ultimately form a new state. The nine‑foot bronze figure, weighing roughly 1,200 pounds, was set on a granite base fabricated by Randall L. Gallagher Memorials of St. Clairsville and installed by Walters Construction of Wheeling. Assembly began in mid‑June 2015 and culminated in a June 20 unveiling tied to Wheeling Arts Fest and West Virginia Day, with remarks by local officials, historians, and members of the Pierpont family, affirming Wheeling as the “birthplace of West Virginia.”
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library – Archiving Wheeling [Pierpont statue photos] (https://tinyurl.com/3bvk3dj5), Ohio County Public Library – Francis Pierpont history (https://tinyurl.com/bdzpz5jd), Weelunk – “The ‘Father of West Virginia’ Returns” (https://tinyurl.com/mpk8e32n), The Intelligencer – “Installation of Pierpont Statue Begins Today” (https://tinyurl.com/4mudmtzx), Weirton Daily Times – “Wheeling unveils Pierpont statue” (https://tinyurl.com/3w5jv3jv)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Weelunk, Wheeling Intelligencer
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