McLure, John, House - Wheeling, West Virginia - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"The architecture of the house at 203 South Front Street is significant because it reflects the changes which affected the Island community from its agricultural beginnings to the decline of its golden age. The house was originally built by Daniel Zane (1792-1860) for his married daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Phillips (1822-1893). The original house was a Federal four over four design, typical for its time. Stripped of the later porch addition, dormer, projected side bay, and Classical Revival touches, one can conclude that the original house was rather conservative. The house remained in the Zane family for eight years from 1856 to 1864.

During the ownership of the McLure family, from 1864 to 1901, the original house's appearance changed 'dramatically. This coincides with the emergence of Wheeling as an important river town. The Island changed in character as well. Its location so near to downtown Wheeling made it an early "bedroom community". It was popular because it was "away from the noise and contaminated atmosphere of the city". It had all the regular utility services by the 1890's. Additionally, the West Virginia Exposition and State Fair Association Grounds was located on the southern part of the Island. Fetherling writes that "much recreation focused on the Island and the river. Since the Civil War, fairs and festivals, including for a time the state fair, had been held at the southern end of the Island". All in all, the Island became an extremely desirable place to live. The most prominent and well-to-do citizens of Wheeling chose to settle here. The wealth of this community was displayed through its architecture. Anyone familiar with the Island can attest to the beautiful artistry that adorns many of the houses from this era. There are excellent examples of Federal, Greek Revival, Victorian, and Shingle Style houses. There are free-standing townhouses and also rowhouses. The alterations that John McLure made to 203 South Front Street really made the house a majestic showpiece. He embellished the house's most visible elevations with Classical forms according to the Greek Revival style of architecture. He also added the aforementioned portico, dormer, projected bay, and bay window. These changes greatly enhanced the house's plan and elevation.

The house was bought by an area banking official in 1901. Mr. Lawrence Sands (1859-1928) was a prominent citizen well known in the financial circles of Wheeling. Under his ownership the house was unaltered. The river boat industry had reached its peak three quarters of the way through the nineteenth century. Trains replaced the riverboat by this time. Mr. Sands sold the property in 1923 and relocated his family to Pittsburgh." - National Register Nomination

The house appears to be in excellent restored condition. The house is now used by couple of different shops and businesses.

Street address: 203 S. Front St. Wheeling, West Virginia County / Borough / Parish: Ohio Year listed: 1991 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1850-1874, 1875-1899, 1900-1924 Historic function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Domestic, Landscape Current function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.