Main St - 1000
Contents
1001 Main
Newly restored (2009) exterior of the Charlie's Hamburger building. I thank the owner for bringing part of Wheeling back to life.
1015 Main - Capital Theater
Beaux-Arts style theater - one of the grandest buildings in Wheeling.
From Linda Cumins, Wheeling Intelligencer, Oct 8, 2009:
The Capitol Theatre opened originally on Thanksgiving 1928. Architect Charles W. Bates designed the theater with a Beaux Arts exterior. Wheeling contractor Ralph Ross Kitchen and his firm constructed the building.
The theater - which has been used for film screenings, symphony concerts, Jamboree shows, Broadway touring productions, ballet performances and dance recitals - has a 44-foot stage, the largest in the city.
The proscenium arch above the stage is decorated with images of peacocks, butterflies and dragonflies.
Two sculptures of semi-nude female figures have been returned to their original location atop the loges flanking the stage. The pieces, titled ''Muse,'' are the work of sculptor Frank Vittor.
The exterior is graced with etched Ionic columns, a niche with an urn, figures of a shell and a lyre, and a cartouche marked with the initials ''CT,'' with two semi-nude figures reclining on the border and the face of a cherub in the center. Lettering spells out Capitol Theatre.
A $150,000 renovation project was undertaken in 1979. During renovations in 1993, the number of seats was reduced from 3,000 to 2,500. The theater was closed in June 2007. Earlier this year, the Wheeling-Ohio County Convention and Visitors Bureau purchased the property and began restoring the facility.
The file below is a pdf of Wheeling Register articles and ads from late in 1928 when the Capital Theater opened. Chuck Julian found and transcribed these.
1025 Main - Hawley Building
The Mull Center
Built in 1914 for John Hawley as an office building, a function it still serves after being sold in 1977 to the Mull Center Corporation. Dunham (2003)
1030 Main - Stone & Thomas Building
Postcard from its heyday (from Ohio County Public Library
Built in 1891 on the site where the Stone & Thomas dry goods business had been located since the 1850s. Founded in 1847, Stone & Thomas was previously located across the street on the west side of Main Street. It was a leading department store in Wheeling at one time. Recently the city restored it and converted it into retail and office space, hoping to lure new business. Some have come and more are being recruited. It is a handsome building.
Friends of Wheeling description
Bridge St Alley/Dyagon Alley
This is the alley between Stone and Thomas and Kauffmans. Was it also called Alley 7?
1040 Main - Kauffman's
Built about 1900 as three adjacent buildings.
The blue fronted building above. It houses Kaufman's shop for women's clothes. The 1970s? renovation does not fit the historic character of its neighbor. It went out of business in 2010 and has been empty since; it was offered for sale in 2012 for $165,000. Here is a relict description from the online Yellow Pages:
Kaufman's of Downtown Wheeling is a family owned and operated business that has been in operation for over 80 years. We are one of the Nations largest Bridal and Formal Superstores. We offer over 7, 000 long and short formals ranging in size from 0-46. We carry over 30 famous designers like: Alyce, B'dazzle, Scala, Mori lee, Precious formals, Jovani, Niteline, Tiffany, Hannahs, Studio 17, Zum Zum, Nikki, Jodi of California, Joli, Flip, Mike Benet, Jasz Couture, Panoply, Wow, Aurora, Attitudes by Debra, Alberto Makali, Party time, Cassandra Stone, Xcite, and many more. Our Bridal department is just as fabulous. We carry over 2,000 in stock wedding gowns from all of the famous designers seen in the top bridal magazines. Our bridal gowns range in sizes 4-32. There are fabulous savings when you shop at Kaufman's. You receive 25% off all in stock regular priced wedding gowns and 20% off all special order wedding gowns. You also receive 10% off of your veil when you buy your wedding gown at Kaufman's.
1046 Main - Ft Henry Dairy Lunch
Fort Henry Dairy Lunch Building
Old postcards from 1908 reveal an otherwise forgotten classy little diner that I would have love to sit on a barstool and eat a quick breakfast of fresh pastries from their own bakery. The tile floor and glass walls remind me of similar places in Rome. Why have we let all of these wonderful places disappear?
1056 Main - Colvig Building
Built ~1862. A building with style and grace, in need of repair, not demolition as the city of Wheeling proposes in 2008. Historically important for being the first building in town to have electricity, with a dynamo providing power to nearby building. Is the dynamo still in the basement?
Ft Henry Sign
1060 Block of Shops
1065 Main
