Today in Wheeling History: August 5--Noah Zane, the 73-year-old great-grandson of Wheeling founder Ebenezer Zane, visited the newly opened Windsor Hotel and shared his recollections of the old Sprigg House with the Wheeling Intelligencer, remarking on the city's significant development as evidenced by the contrast between the old and new buildings (1914).
The Windsor Hotel, located at 1143 Main Street in Wheeling, West Virginia, has a rich history dating back to 1815. Initially, Jacob Gooding's Inn, the first brick building in Wheeling, it became Zachariah Sprigg's Tavern shortly after. The property underwent several name changes throughout the 19th century, including the United States Hotel, Sprigg House (renamed in 1861 by Mr. Yarnall), Dailey's City Hotel (from January 25, 1870), and the St. James Hotel (1872). After renovations in 1884, it became the New St. James Hotel.
On August 27, 1888, new owners J.H. Hobbs and M. Reilly reopened the establishment as the Hotel Windsor, managed by E.B. Carney. D.M. Carey purchased the hotel in October 1891 but died in 1892 during the Main Street Bridge construction. Carney then acquired the property and initiated a major redevelopment in 1912. The old building was razed on November 3, 1912, and construction of a new 12-story hotel began in early 1913, opening on June 4, 1914.
The hotel's prime location between 11th and 12th streets offered spectacular views of the Ohio River. Initially, the main entrance was on Water Street, with a tunnel-like passage from Main Street. The 1914 reconstruction introduced a grand marble-floored lobby entrance on Main Street. Noah Zane, great-grandson of Wheeling founder Ebenezer Zane, visited in 1914 at age 73, noting the contrast between the old Sprigg House and the new "beautiful hostelry" as evidence of Wheeling's rapid development.
In 1973, the Windsor Hotel was converted into Windsor Manor, a 109-unit apartment building, at a cost of $1.5 million. This renovation was subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Throughout its various incarnations, the Windsor has been a central fixture in Wheeling's history for over two centuries, witnessing the city's growth from a colonial-era settlement to a modern urban center, and continues to serve as an apartment complex today.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/3339phx6) (https://tinyurl.com/46jwuuck) (https://tinyurl.com/msn383sy)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV
The Windsor Hotel, located at 1143 Main Street in Wheeling, West Virginia, has a rich history dating back to 1815. Initially, Jacob Gooding's Inn, the first brick building in Wheeling, it became Zachariah Sprigg's Tavern shortly after. The property underwent several name changes throughout the 19th century, including the United States Hotel, Sprigg House (renamed in 1861 by Mr. Yarnall), Dailey's City Hotel (from January 25, 1870), and the St. James Hotel (1872). After renovations in 1884, it became the New St. James Hotel.
On August 27, 1888, new owners J.H. Hobbs and M. Reilly reopened the establishment as the Hotel Windsor, managed by E.B. Carney. D.M. Carey purchased the hotel in October 1891 but died in 1892 during the Main Street Bridge construction. Carney then acquired the property and initiated a major redevelopment in 1912. The old building was razed on November 3, 1912, and construction of a new 12-story hotel began in early 1913, opening on June 4, 1914.
The hotel's prime location between 11th and 12th streets offered spectacular views of the Ohio River. Initially, the main entrance was on Water Street, with a tunnel-like passage from Main Street. The 1914 reconstruction introduced a grand marble-floored lobby entrance on Main Street. Noah Zane, great-grandson of Wheeling founder Ebenezer Zane, visited in 1914 at age 73, noting the contrast between the old Sprigg House and the new "beautiful hostelry" as evidence of Wheeling's rapid development.
In 1973, the Windsor Hotel was converted into Windsor Manor, a 109-unit apartment building, at a cost of $1.5 million. This renovation was subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Throughout its various incarnations, the Windsor has been a central fixture in Wheeling's history for over two centuries, witnessing the city's growth from a colonial-era settlement to a modern urban center, and continues to serve as an apartment complex today.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/3339phx6) (https://tinyurl.com/46jwuuck) (https://tinyurl.com/msn383sy)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV
RSS Feed
