National Historic Landmark

West Virginia Independence Hall

Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia
Listed
January 25, 1970
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
70000660

About this property

West Virginia Independence Hall is a historic government building at 1528 Market Street in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia, United States. It was built in 1860 under the supervision of architect Ammi B. Young for the federal government as a custom house, post office and courthouse. It is architecturally significant for its innovative uses of wrought iron as a framing material, and is historically significant for its role in the American Civil War. It housed the Wheeling Convention (1861), as well as the West Virginia Constitutional Convention (1863), which resulted in the separation of Unionist West Virginia from Confederate Virginia. This made it the only state to secede from a Confederate state during the war. The building was originally built as the custom house for the Western District of Virginia, and later became the center of government for the Restored Government of Virginia from 1861 to 1863, with Francis H. Pierpont serving as its governor. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1988. The building is now a state-run museum, housing exhibits on West Virginia history.

Location

1524 Market St.
Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia
40.06423, -80.72183

Categories

MILITARYPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about West Virginia Independence Hall

This page lists West Virginia Independence Hall. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Wheeling Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Passenger Station
Industrial
0.1 mi
Riverside Iron Works Office Building
Colonial
0.1 mi
Wheeling Warehouse Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Wheeling Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Listed
0.2 mi
Hazlett, Robert W., House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Second Siege of Fort Henry
1782Revolutionary War
0 mi
First Siege of Fort Henry (Wheeling)
1777Revolutionary War
0 mi

Questions about this property

When was West Virginia Independence Hall listed on the National Register?

West Virginia Independence Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 25, 1970.

What type of historic resource is West Virginia Independence Hall?

West Virginia Independence Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is West Virginia Independence Hall a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. West Virginia Independence Hall has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for West Virginia Independence Hall?

The period of significance for West Virginia Independence Hall is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near West Virginia Independence Hall?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near West Virginia Independence Hall will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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West Virginia history

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West Virginiahistory ›

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