The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-06
THE WHEELING CoURr HOUSE.
Its EARLY History In Connection viii
the Recent Lenses of AJlneent {; C;rounL.


The late r. @. Woods, z. Jacob and
David Agnew were appointed Commis.
sioners to superint0nd the building Of
the Court House, Where il now stands: and
the late Richard Simms, Daniel Lamb and
myself the Commissioners for building
the JUL in the rear, fronting on Fifth
street.
The ground for both was selected by
Commissioners appointed, believe, by
the Legislature, in 1887 or 1888. The build
ings were put under contract in 1888.
James II. White. undertaking the Court
House, and one D. Brooks, OF Columbiana
county, Ohio, the jail. The ground occu-
pied by the Court House was an entire
front from the corner OF then Monroe and
Fourth street to the width OF some eighty
or ninety feet, possibly one hundred feet,
and running back to the depth OF
about one hundred and twenty feet, or
to the adjoining lot, fronting on Monroe
street.
For ventilation and light the house was
placed in the middle OF the lot, This was
the more necessary for putting it as far
from the line OF Monroe street as possible,
because the owner OF the adjoining lot
then known as the "Iustitute Lot might
build on the line OF division, and thus OBJ.
struct light and ventilation, aud increase
the hazard from fre-and the design was
to place it as lar from Monroe street as
could be done, on account OF the noise
from vehicles running over stone paved
street. The object, too, was that the sides
OF the Court House should be planted in
ornamental shade trees, and some embel-
ishment with shrubbery, flowers, &c.
set out sycamore and other forest trees
on the north side, but 1t was too much
shaded for the cultivation OF flowers, but
on the south side used TO have quite II
flower garden.
| remember that somewhere between
1912 and 80, perhaps 43 4 or ., an ap.
plication was made, or talked Of being
made, for leave to lease from the county
ground on both sides for building ssofiices.
| opposed it because it would obstruct
light and air, and sight too, from my OF.
flee on the south side, and Mr.. McCul.
loch's office on the opposite side, and be-
sides destroy my flower garden. My
recollection is, for these and other reasons,
the late Y. Jacob sent up an order, and
had it entered in the County Court for.
ever prohibiting the lease Of gound on
either side, and that no building OF any
other description or any other use
should be made of-the lot while it was
occupied as Court House, or as
the property OF the county. l feel quite
sure that Mr.. Jacob opposed it and eXerted
himself to get such IN order entered. 1t
strikes me that Mr.. Nelson, G. W. Russell
and perhaps Mr.. PAUL, with L. ii. Fitz-
hugh and others sought to use the ground
ior offices, aud this refusal OF the County
Court to grant the leases, drove PAUL,
Nelson and others 10 build small, two
story brick, adjoining the old Mark Doug
lass house (now Mrs. Wheats), and next
to the "Institute Lot" and probably on Il
part OF this lot. There was a brick wall
seven or eight feet high on the line OF the
public ground running back TO q higher
wall enclosing the jail. / have not
been in Wheeling since 1870, but
am told that a building has been
put up on the south side OF
the Court House and used as the Sherit7s
office. Were l interested as used to be,
and after the order OF which ! speak, on
no account would l be willing to grant
such leases. We did our best TO get the
whole OF that square; that is, from the
alley up TO the line OF Monroe street, but
tho owners OF the other property were un-
willing to sell, and the county was too
poor to pay the prices asked. The plats OF
the ground, the plans OF the building, the
specifications and contracts were all pre-
served, and ought to be on file in the
County Court Clerks office. II papers
were labeled and kept as they used to be
in that office, ] could lay my hand on any
article that might be wanted. Examine
the order book for about 1913, 1S4O, 1850.
and II am not mistaken, you will find the
order referto.
! do not think there was any paper
signed by persons opposed TO the case, in
the form OF petition or rem0nstrance,
but simply. an order drawn up by MIR.
Jacob (if before August, '4S, Mr.. Sprigg
might have done it, or both together), and
presented to the Court, which ordered it to
be entered. wish you had some oil our
broad acres we have here in Wheeling, as
you seem to be scarce OF land on which to
build.
The Court House was gotten ready for
use and the first Circuit Court was held in
it for the spring term OF 1871; so that 1t
was after that time the effort was made to
procure the leases. II the privilege had
been granted, suppose there would have
been an unsightly row OF dismal look
ing shanties, obtruding and completely
smothering in dirt, and SCOT, and smoke,
the Court House; it would be uncivilized
to think OF 80 desecrating the Temple.
Sincerely yours,
ALEX. 7. LAIDLET.
While this letter does not furnish an
altogether clear and satisfactory record
OF definite action taken in regard to the
preservation OF tho Court House grounds
from occupation by other buildings, yet it
throws q good. Ideal OF light on the feeling
in early'days, and seems to show that the
grounds were protected at the outset by
this feeling from occupancy. We regard
II as unfortunate that this feeling did not
take shape in some explicit and binding
action at that time, such as would have
forever preserved the grounds from occu-
patton by leasehold buildings. The Court
House and grounds will probably be for
sale In the next few years, and these
leases will be a probable drawback to an
advantageous sale, while in the mean.
time they will serve to endanger the
building by fire, and will certainly inter-
fere with the light and air now enjoyed
by the occupants Of tho Court House.
We do not see that the county is receiv-
ing under the circumstances an equivalent
for this occupation Of the ground. The
mere reversion CT a building several years