Today in Wheeling History: January 13--The lavish, wooden Stratford Springs Hotel in Woodsdale near Wheeling, West Virginia, accommodating 125 elite guests in its 84 occupied rooms, was completely destroyed in a fast-moving midnight fire sparked by faulty electrical wiring (1918).
The lavish Stratford Springs Hotel opened in Woodsdale near Wheeling, West Virginia in 1907. The wooden Victorian-style resort was built near a natural spring and offered luxurious amenities like a grand ballroom, sweeping porches, and elegant guest rooms. The hotel became a popular seasonal retreat for Wheeling's upper class. On January 13, 1918, the Stratford Springs Hotel was completely destroyed in a fast-moving fire sparked by faulty electrical wiring. All 125 guests escaped unharmed, but the hotel suffered about $150,000 in losses. Though tentative plans were made to rebuild, the Stratford was never reconstructed. Today, the Stratford Springs name lives on at a country club in Wheeling. In its heyday from 1907-1918, the grand Stratford Springs Hotel was considered the pinnacle of luxury in the Wheeling area.
To learn more: (http://tinyurl.com/4b2t5my2) (http://tinyurl.com/2utw5ktn) (http://tinyurl.com/4pcvt2f8) (http://tinyurl.com/4ud4ye7z) (http://tinyurl.com/yr5tve3w) (http://tinyurl.com/3jwnrn2p) (http://tinyurl.com/mza9rm6e) (http://tinyurl.com/4a22n9bz) (http://tinyurl.com/3fj5wwt7)
Photo Credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling Daily Register
The lavish Stratford Springs Hotel opened in Woodsdale near Wheeling, West Virginia in 1907. The wooden Victorian-style resort was built near a natural spring and offered luxurious amenities like a grand ballroom, sweeping porches, and elegant guest rooms. The hotel became a popular seasonal retreat for Wheeling's upper class. On January 13, 1918, the Stratford Springs Hotel was completely destroyed in a fast-moving fire sparked by faulty electrical wiring. All 125 guests escaped unharmed, but the hotel suffered about $150,000 in losses. Though tentative plans were made to rebuild, the Stratford was never reconstructed. Today, the Stratford Springs name lives on at a country club in Wheeling. In its heyday from 1907-1918, the grand Stratford Springs Hotel was considered the pinnacle of luxury in the Wheeling area.
To learn more: (http://tinyurl.com/4b2t5my2) (http://tinyurl.com/2utw5ktn) (http://tinyurl.com/4pcvt2f8) (http://tinyurl.com/4ud4ye7z) (http://tinyurl.com/yr5tve3w) (http://tinyurl.com/3jwnrn2p) (http://tinyurl.com/mza9rm6e) (http://tinyurl.com/4a22n9bz) (http://tinyurl.com/3fj5wwt7)
Photo Credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling Daily Register
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