Today in Wheeling History: September 13—Rev. James Hervey, longtime pastor of The Old Stone Church, died after 47 years of service to the Forks of Wheeling congregation (1859).
Rev. James Hervey (1782–1859) was a towering figure in Wheeling’s religious heritage, serving as the first regularly installed minister of the Forks of Wheeling Presbyterian Church—later known as The Old Stone Church. Born in Brooke County, Virginia (now West Virginia), Hervey graduated from Jefferson College in Pennsylvania in 1810 and was licensed to preach in 1812. That same year, he began his ministry in Wheeling, initially preaching in a carpenter’s shop and a schoolhouse before formalizing services. The congregation, founded in 1787, built its first stone church in Elm Grove in 1807, where Hervey served for nearly five decades.
Hervey helped organize additional congregations and officiated weddings for prominent families. His leadership guided Wheeling through its transformation from frontier outpost to industrial city. The original Old Stone Church was demolished in 1913 and replaced in 1914 by a Gothic-style Stone Presbyterian Church on Stone Church Road. That second structure was razed in 1970 for the construction of Interstate 70. A third church—Stone United Presbyterian Church—was built around 1968 at 25 East Cove Avenue in Elm Grove neighborhood of Wheeling, where the congregation continues today. Hervey died on September 13, 1859, and was buried in Stone Church Cemetery, on the grounds of the original church.
To learn more: To learn more: History of The Old Stone Church – Ohio County Public Library (https://tinyurl.com/3rpetwff), Old Stone Church – Historic Wheeling Wiki (https://tinyurl.com/43j8whu4), Rev. James Hervey on Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/m887fw6z), Stone Church Cemetery – Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/3papwcxr), Patriots Interred at Historic Stone Church Cemetery – Fort Henry SAR (https://tinyurl.com/3tkyhuez), Forks of Wheeling 175th Anniversary Booklet – FamilySearch (https://tinyurl.com/4x5zasdt), Stone Presbyterian Church - Ohio County Public Library (1914-1970) (https://tinyurl.com/yje432v6)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave
Rev. James Hervey (1782–1859) was a towering figure in Wheeling’s religious heritage, serving as the first regularly installed minister of the Forks of Wheeling Presbyterian Church—later known as The Old Stone Church. Born in Brooke County, Virginia (now West Virginia), Hervey graduated from Jefferson College in Pennsylvania in 1810 and was licensed to preach in 1812. That same year, he began his ministry in Wheeling, initially preaching in a carpenter’s shop and a schoolhouse before formalizing services. The congregation, founded in 1787, built its first stone church in Elm Grove in 1807, where Hervey served for nearly five decades.
Hervey helped organize additional congregations and officiated weddings for prominent families. His leadership guided Wheeling through its transformation from frontier outpost to industrial city. The original Old Stone Church was demolished in 1913 and replaced in 1914 by a Gothic-style Stone Presbyterian Church on Stone Church Road. That second structure was razed in 1970 for the construction of Interstate 70. A third church—Stone United Presbyterian Church—was built around 1968 at 25 East Cove Avenue in Elm Grove neighborhood of Wheeling, where the congregation continues today. Hervey died on September 13, 1859, and was buried in Stone Church Cemetery, on the grounds of the original church.
To learn more: To learn more: History of The Old Stone Church – Ohio County Public Library (https://tinyurl.com/3rpetwff), Old Stone Church – Historic Wheeling Wiki (https://tinyurl.com/43j8whu4), Rev. James Hervey on Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/m887fw6z), Stone Church Cemetery – Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/3papwcxr), Patriots Interred at Historic Stone Church Cemetery – Fort Henry SAR (https://tinyurl.com/3tkyhuez), Forks of Wheeling 175th Anniversary Booklet – FamilySearch (https://tinyurl.com/4x5zasdt), Stone Presbyterian Church - Ohio County Public Library (1914-1970) (https://tinyurl.com/yje432v6)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Find a Grave
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