Today in Wheeling History: September 18–The Wheeling Windmill, an iconic and whimsical roadside attraction designed to resemble a traditional Dutch windmill, was first mentioned in a Wheeling Intelligencer article, marking its significance in local history (1929).
The Wheeling Windmill, located at the top of Wheeling Hill at the intersection of Stone Boulevard and National Road, is a notable roadside attraction in Wheeling, West Virginia. Contrary to local lore suggesting it was built in 1917, the first documented reference to the windmill dates back to 1929. The windmill was part of a gasoline-filling station project proposed by the Sterling Oil Company. The design was inspired by an old Dutch windmill, complete with blades that turned in the wind and were illuminated by electric lights at night. The project, which cost an estimated $10,000 (equivalent to approximately $165,929.82 today), was intended to attract attention and boost business for the gas station. The windmill is part of a broader trend of novelty gas stations across the United States, which includes structures shaped like airplanes, dinosaurs, and giant cowboy hats. Interestingly, the Wheeling Windmill is not the only one in West Virginia; a similar windmill built by the Quaker State Oil Company in Parkersburg predates it by a year and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wheeling Windmill remains a cherished piece of local history and a testament to the creative marketing strategies of the early 20th century.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/4rw9y7yb), Weelunk (https://shorturl.at/VfACA), Dissecting Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/28sfdebu)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Dissecting Wheeling, Weelunk
The Wheeling Windmill, located at the top of Wheeling Hill at the intersection of Stone Boulevard and National Road, is a notable roadside attraction in Wheeling, West Virginia. Contrary to local lore suggesting it was built in 1917, the first documented reference to the windmill dates back to 1929. The windmill was part of a gasoline-filling station project proposed by the Sterling Oil Company. The design was inspired by an old Dutch windmill, complete with blades that turned in the wind and were illuminated by electric lights at night. The project, which cost an estimated $10,000 (equivalent to approximately $165,929.82 today), was intended to attract attention and boost business for the gas station. The windmill is part of a broader trend of novelty gas stations across the United States, which includes structures shaped like airplanes, dinosaurs, and giant cowboy hats. Interestingly, the Wheeling Windmill is not the only one in West Virginia; a similar windmill built by the Quaker State Oil Company in Parkersburg predates it by a year and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wheeling Windmill remains a cherished piece of local history and a testament to the creative marketing strategies of the early 20th century.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/4rw9y7yb), Weelunk (https://shorturl.at/VfACA), Dissecting Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/28sfdebu)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Dissecting Wheeling, Weelunk
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