Today in Wheeling History: November 9--The Paxton Fountain, placed in front of the old City-County Building in Wheeling, was dedicated (1878).
The Paxton fountain was formally unveiled and dedicated in front of the West Virginia Capitol building in Wheeling on November 9, 1878. The dedication ceremony featured speeches, prayers, music by a brass band, and a large crowd estimated between 2,000 to 5,000 people. James W. Paxton, president of the North Western Bank of Virginia in 1860 (renamed National Bank of West Virginia in 1863), advisor to Governor Pierpoint under the Reorganized Government of Virginia, and one of the principal advocates for West Virginia statehood, formally presented the fountain as a gift to the city. Mayor Sweeney accepted the fountain on behalf of the city. Other speakers included Rev. D.A. Cunningham, Dr. A.L. Mayer, William Leighton Jr. who read an original dedicatory poem, and J.H. Good who gave an oration praising the fountain. The fountain was unveiled to cheers from the crowd. The elaborate fountain featured sculptures of figures and cherubs around a central spray of water.
The Paxton Fountain originally stood in front of the West Virginia Capitol (later becoming the old City-County Building) from 1878 until 1956. In 1881, a city ordinance was passed to protect the fountain from vandalism or other damage. In 1956, when the old City-County Building was demolished, there was an attempt to move the fountain, but it broke beyond repair. The fountain featured elaborate sculptures of figures and cherubs arranged around a central spray of water.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/2p9ap3ey) (https://tinyurl.com/5n6z5h5c) (https://tinyurl.com/bdz25haf)
Photo Credits: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV
The Paxton fountain was formally unveiled and dedicated in front of the West Virginia Capitol building in Wheeling on November 9, 1878. The dedication ceremony featured speeches, prayers, music by a brass band, and a large crowd estimated between 2,000 to 5,000 people. James W. Paxton, president of the North Western Bank of Virginia in 1860 (renamed National Bank of West Virginia in 1863), advisor to Governor Pierpoint under the Reorganized Government of Virginia, and one of the principal advocates for West Virginia statehood, formally presented the fountain as a gift to the city. Mayor Sweeney accepted the fountain on behalf of the city. Other speakers included Rev. D.A. Cunningham, Dr. A.L. Mayer, William Leighton Jr. who read an original dedicatory poem, and J.H. Good who gave an oration praising the fountain. The fountain was unveiled to cheers from the crowd. The elaborate fountain featured sculptures of figures and cherubs around a central spray of water.
The Paxton Fountain originally stood in front of the West Virginia Capitol (later becoming the old City-County Building) from 1878 until 1956. In 1881, a city ordinance was passed to protect the fountain from vandalism or other damage. In 1956, when the old City-County Building was demolished, there was an attempt to move the fountain, but it broke beyond repair. The fountain featured elaborate sculptures of figures and cherubs arranged around a central spray of water.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/2p9ap3ey) (https://tinyurl.com/5n6z5h5c) (https://tinyurl.com/bdz25haf)
Photo Credits: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV
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