Whether or not vehicular traffic returns this summer to the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, the historic span soon will be celebrated as the original pathway for pioneers who dared to spread the American dream westward more than a century ago.
Raze International Inc. of Shadyside, Ohio has been hired to demolish the former Wheeling Inn at the corner of 10th and Main streets in downtown Wheeling, and once dilapidated, four-story structure is cleared, the bridge’s northeast corner will be exposed for the first time in more than 150 years. The hotel property was purchased for $1.7 million in January 2023 by the Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau, and since the non-profit has partnered with several entities to develop the corner into a heritage and welcome center for local residents, tourists, and travelers of Interstate 70.
“We’re going to feature the Suspension Bridge like it’s never been featured before in the history of Wheeling,” insisted Frank O’Brien, the executive director of the Wheeling CVB. “It’s such an important part of the American story. This historic bridge played such an important role in the development of our great country, and it’s never been showcased in 150 years.
“There’s always been a structure that’s blocked the bridge’s northeast corner from clear view, but there will be several observation areas included in this heritage center project,” he explained. “When we’re finished with this property, it will be something that will let you appreciate what we have here because it’s going to be a visitor-slash-welcome-slash-culture center.”
The nation’s first federally funded highway – the National Pike – was cut and cleared to reach Wheeling, Va. in 1817, but too often travelers had to wait until the Ohio River was passable aboard flatboats to continue their venture into the state of Ohio River. The 1,010-foot Suspension Bridge, in its original form, initially opened in 1849, but a wind storm in 1854 caused severe damage, reconstruction, and a re-opening a few years later.
Its west side on Wheeling Island has been fully visible, but the span’s east-side towers have been hidden from sight for as long as anyone alive today can recall.
That will change this summer. Raze International has agreed to clear the property for $500,000, and the project must secure the bridge during the demolition process. The company, according to O’Brien, now has a four-month window to complete the demo.
“We have worked non-stop to get to this point where we have a contractor to demolish the former hotel,” O’Brien said. “Thanks to the City of Wheeling and the coordination with the W.Va. EPA so they could help with the asbestos removal, we’re ready to go and I know there’s a lot of people who are anxious to see this property cleared of the blight.
“The abatement has to happen first, and then the former hotel will come down, and we’re hoping they can get started as early the month of June. They have a four-month window, but we’re hoping the work will be done sooner than later,” he said. “After that, it’s going to be a green site while we develop what’s next for the property.”
O’Brien confirmed the corner at 10th and Main will go green once the debris is cleared, and that the property will be utilized until new structures are designed and constructed on the parcels. The Wheeling CVB has partnered with the City of Wheeling, Ohio County, the state of West Virginia, Wheeling Heritage, and development firm Tipping Point.
“Everything on the property – the hotel and the two parking lots – will be cleared to make way for what we’re discussing right now. Those conversations are very active,” O’Brien said. “I’m sure we’ll figure out how to use the property for the community before then, and we’re also talking about how we can celebrate the Wheeling Suspension Bridge more than we have in the past.
“The Suspension Bridge is the original ‘Gateway to the West’ and history proves it, so that’s the history we need to remind ourselves of so we can promote it more for the people who visit the Wheeling area,” he said. “Our visitors love the history of this area and they are always asking us new questions, so highlighting the ‘Gateway of the West’ is something they will love.”
