[Nfbwv-talk] Information About Wheeling and the McLure House
David Andrews
dandrews at visi.com
Sat Jul 31 02:28:06 UTC 2010
Bob -- this sure brings back memories. I used to
live right up the street from your place, unless
you have moved -- in a building used for storage,
and with one apartment owned by Hitt Heating and
Air conditioning, as you went up the hill.
Dave
At 07:17 AM 7/30/2010, you wrote:
>Hi Charlene. The directions on the McClure are
>not current. The I-70 tunnel west is
>closed. The directions for downtown are also
>incorrect. There is no need to go to 14th Street
>to turn left(east), you can turn left on 12th
>Street and go one block. I believe there are
>doors on Market and 12th Street, but the 12th
>Street entrance to the McClure is the main
>entrance. You must exit at exit 2, Oglebay Park
>and take US Rt. 40 west to go to downtown; or,
>take WV Rt. 2 south to the 16th Street exit to
>get into downtown Wheeling from I-70(coming from
>the east, the directions coming from the west
>are correct). If you take the 16th Street exit,
>you can turn right on Market Street(north) and
>go two stop lights and you are at the McClure.
>If you take US Rt. 40 west, you will go up and
>over Wheeling Hill into historic(Victorian)
>North Wheeling, past the Seeing Hand into
>downtown. At the top of Wheeling Hill, if you
>go to the left of the large bronze Indian, you
>will come right down Chaplain Street to 12th
>Street just one block east of the McClure(by the
>parking garage and near the main entrance).
>Everything else looked accurate at first glance.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Bob Hicks
>Access Technology Specialist
>Seeing Hand Association, Inc.
>304-232-4810
><bob at seeinghandassociation.com>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "charlene" <cs.nfbwv at verizon.net>
>To: "NFB of West Virginia Discussion List" <nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 12:32 PM
>Subject: [Nfbwv-talk] Information About Wheeling and the McLure House
>
>
>For those planning on attending the 2010 state
>convention of the National Federation
>of the Blind of West Virginia, I got on the
>internet and gathered the following information
>that I thought you might find interesting and/or useful:
>McLure Hotel Summary
>1200 Market Street
>Wheeling, WV 26003
>McLure House Hotel is located on US 40 in
>downtown Wheeling, WV, one-fourth mile
>south of I-70. Free wireless Internet access.
>Lounge and guest laundry. 170 rooms
>on 8 floors. Opened 1857 and renovated 1998.
>Hotel Description
>The McLure House Hotel is located in Wheeling,
>W.Va., along the Ohio River in West
>Virginia's northern Panhandle, between Ohio and
>Pennsylvania. The property is one
>block from the Victoria Vaudeville Theater. The
>Children's Museum and West Virginia
>Northern Community College are within one-half
>mile of the hotel. The Wheeling Island
>Racetrack is two miles away.
>The McLure House Hotel is located in historic
>downtown Wheeling and was originally
>built in 1852. The front desk is open 24 hours a
>day. The hotel features on-site
>event facilities. Complimentary wireless
>Internet access is available in public areas
>of the hotel. Laundry facilities are available on site.
>The McLure House Hotel houses 170 guestrooms are
>equipped with dial-up Internet access
>and coffeemakers.
>Area Attractions
>Wheeling Symphony Mull Center - 1.0 mile
>Wheeling Island Racetrack - 2.0 miles
>Victoria Vaudeville Theater - 1 block
>West Virginia Northern Community College - 0.3 miles
>Children's Museum - 0.1 miles
>West Virginia Independence Hall - 0.1 miles
>Oglebay's Good Children's Zoo - 4.6 miles
>Victorian Wheeling Landmarks - 0.4 miles
>Women's History Museum - 8.1 miles
>Information
>Pet fee charged at hotel/condo
>Minimum check-in age 21
>Caters to families
>Check-in time is 3 PM
>Check-out time is Noon
>170 rooms on 8 floors.
>Meeting rooms
>Fitness facility
>Pets allowed
>Policies and Disclaimers
>You must present a photo ID when checking in.
>Your credit card is charged at the
>time you book. Bed type and smoking preferences
>are not guaranteed. Your reservation
>is prepaid and is guaranteed for late arrival.
>The New Office Grill House
>Breakfast Served Daily 7 am - 11 am
>Lunch Monday - Saturday 11 am - 3 pm
>Dinner Daily 3:30 pm - 10:30 pm in the lounge
>McLure House Hotel offers complementary parking
>in our attached covered parking garage.
>Free parking for all hotel guests.
>McLure House
>Hotel & Conference Center
>Considered one of Wheeling's prominent
>landmarks, The McLure House Hotel has been
>the lodging choice of US presidents, West
>Virginia governors, Civil War generals,
>entertainers and other notable figures since 1852.
>The McLure offers 170 spacious and well
>appointed guest rooms. Wheeling's largest
>professional conference facility and banquet
>space highlighted by our newly renovated
>Grand Ballroom and executive board room.
>The McLure Hotel's professional staff is
>available 24 hours a day to ensure your
>stay is enjoyable and successful whether your
>visit is for business or pleasure.
>Your complete satisfaction is not only our goal, but our PROMISE.
>We are proud of our unique place in Wheeling's
>history and invite you to discover
>the exciting and fascinating blend of past and
>present that is The McLure House Hotel.
>Walls Surrounding History
>Constructed in 1851 and opened in 1852, the
>McLure House Hotel has been a mainstay
>of the city of Wheeling and has been the scene
>of several events that shaped the
>country or at least the city itself.
>Over the years, there have been many changes
>within the walls but nothing can change
>the historical events that occurred at
>Wheeling's oldest functioning hotel. Originally,
>built in a doughnut shape, the Hotel contained a
>watering trough and hitching posts
>for horses and carriages. The registration
>desks and offices were located on the
>second floor due to the muddy mess that was made
>in the open lobby. However, this
>was not the fascinating feature of the McLure
>House. The 12th Street entrance was
>marked 'Ladies' and was built with a wider door
>that made room for the cumbersome
>yet fashionable wide hoop skirts that were worn by the women of the time.
>At one point, the McLure was the largest hotel
>in the state with 315 rooms, 65 bathrooms,
>and 50 showers. The hotel was usually busy
>Monday through Thursday due to the business
>travelers arriving from Pittsburgh and returning home at the end of the week.
>E.M. Statler, founder of the Hilton and Sheraton
>Hotel dynasties, was once an employee
>of the McLure. He started out as a bell-boy and
>eventually worked his way up to
>manager. After gaining the attention of a few
>very prominent businessmen in Wheeling,
>Statler finally raised the money to begin his
>endeavor. Since that time, the McLure
>has hosted several dignitaries and entertainers
>that remain as the most famous or
>infamous of their times. Dignitaries who have
>stayed at the McLure include General
>Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, William
>Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow
>Wilson, William McKinley, James A. Garfield,
>Chester A. Arthur, Harry S. Truman,
>Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and many of
>their first ladies. In fact, if it
>had not been for the raid on Harper's Ferry,
>Abraham Lincoln might have made his
>inaugural speech at the McLure.
>During the civil war, the McLure was host to
>several generals and served as headquarters
>of Union General William Rosecrans. In fact, it
>has been said that West Virginia's
>founding fathers ventured to the McLure for
>refreshment when they needed a break
>from dealing with the issues of West Virginia statehood.
>As the years passed, many more of America's
>mover and shakers came and went from
>inside the walls of the McLure. Senator Joseph
>McCarthy delivered his famous McCarthyism
>speech, in which he claimed to have a list of
>communist sympathizers in the U.S.
>state department. It was also at the McLure
>where Dwight D. Eisenhower met with
>Richard Nixon and reinstated him as his running
>mate for the 1952 campaign. The
>long list could go on for days and one would
>recognize names such as John D. Rockefeller
>Sr., William A. Wrigley, and even Marilyn Monroe.
>The McLure House has had its share of historic
>events; however, it has also had its
>share of renovations. Starting with the first
>addition of 90 rooms in 1910, the
>structure has been ever changing. In 1978, a
>$10 million renovation plan had been
>launched and finally gave the McLure the
>exterior look it has today. Phase I, completed
>in 1981, was a six level 220 car garage allowing
>guests to exit and enter sleeping
>rooms directly from the garage. Work
>transforming the 133-year-old hostelry into
>one of the area's most modern hotels and meeting
>centers was completed in early 1985.
>Finally, in 1996, Lane Hospitality was
>contracted by Wesbanco, Inc. to manage the
>McLure property. Since the takeover, Lane and
>Wesbanco have completed several renovations
>including the new executive boardroom that can
>accommodate groups up to 15 comfortably.
>Amenities featured in the room consist of a
>speaker phone, audio visual equipment,
>television and VCR, dry erase board, and coffee
>service. The hotel's conference
>space has a capacity to seat up to 700 using the
>entire ballroom, it can also be
>broken down into two to five separate rooms,
>allowing for meeting space as well as
>breakout rooms. 2007 brought on new renovations
>in the hotel including the refurbishing
>of all guest rooms with new beds, furniture,
>décor, iron and ironing board, hair
>dryers, individual coffee pots, cable television
>including Showtime and ESPN and
>a keyed entrance to ensure security and
>privacy. The latest addition is the fabulous
>WIFI Internet throughout the hotel. The Office
>Lounge & Grillhouse Restaurant, along
>with Vito's Deli are open to serve our guests.
>As one can see, the past history, present
>status, and future possibilities have combined
>to make the McLure House Hotel the premiere
>hotel in the city of Wheeling and an
>historic landmark that has and will withstand the test of time.
>The Tupsey Waltz was played during the railroad supper.
>The waltz was composed for and dedicated to Dr.
>John D.M. Carr, who based on notations
>in a Wheeling City Directory from that era, was
>a resident of the McLure at the time
>of the banquet, said Wheeling historian Beverly Fluty.
>During its early years, the McLure House was the
>site of strategy planning by West
>Virginia and Pennsylvania officials who were
>fighting a legal battle over the Wheeling
>Suspension Bridge's existence, and it was a
>favorite place of both Union and Confederate
>soldiers during the Civil War, the archives articles said.
>It is said that the Mountain State's founding
>fathers, among them Francis H. Pierpoint
>and Arthur L. Boreman ventured to the McLure for
>refreshment when they needed a break
>from dealing with the important issues of West Virginia's independence.
>The McLure was well known for its menu which
>included such items as venison, calves'
>feet, St. Louis hams, oysters prepared to order,
>and ample number of wines, champagne
>and cognacs and a wide selection of fruits and nuts.
>Wheeling Hall of Famer & hotel magnate Ellsworth
>M. Statler- who built a famed hotel
>empire, which, when sold to Conrad Hilton in
>1954, represented the largest transaction
>in hotel industry history- was responsible for
>instituting several innovations, including
>hot and cold running water, adopted by major
>hotel owners, received his start as
>a bell hop at the McLure.
>The list of dignitaries who have stayed at the
>McLure is long and includes U.S. presidents
>U.S. Grant, Benjamin, Harrison, William Howard
>Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow
>Wilson, William McKinley, James Garfield,
>Chester A. Arthur, Harry S. Truman, Dwight
>D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy and many of
>their first ladies; Civil War generals
>William T. Sherman and John C. Fremont; Old West
>figures Frank James, Cole Younger
>and Buffalo Bill Cody; entertainers Jenny Lind,
>Sarah Bernhardt and Marilyn Monroe;
>businessman John D. Rockefeller Sr., United Mine
>Workers founder John L. Lewis and
>William Wrigley before he became the chewing gum mogul.
>Wheeling, a city of history and pleasure
>The Northern Panhandle, is a cross roads of
>history and modern pleasures in the northern
>most tip of West Virginia. In Wheeling,
>Independence Hall, Centre Market and the
>rows of Victorian homes make history come alive.
>At Wheeling Downs play the slots
>and place your bet on the best greyhound and
>thoroughbreds from across the United
>States. Tap your toes, clap your hands to the
>beat of the best in the field of country
>music at Jamboree USA located in the Capitol
>Music Hall. Come catch that Wheeling
>Feeling, for you belong in Wheeling!
>History of Wheeling
>Echart House, Victorian Home Tour- The crown
>jewel of Victorian opulence. Magnificently
>restored. Tours Saturdays in April, November and
>December. Open all year by appointment.
>Grave Creek Mound- was constructed in two stages
>between 250-150 BC. The Woodland
>period of man, known by the general term
>"MoundBuilder" began about 1000 BC and lasted
>until about 700 AD. The Culture made significant
>settlements in what is now West
>Virginia.
>The Museums of Oglebay Institute- unique
>collections of historic Wheeling artifacts,
>the museums preserve the area's heritage and is
>a true symbol of community pride.
>Old Main at Bethany- A National landmark located
>at Bethany College is the earliest
>example of collegiate Gothic in America.
>Construction began in 1858 using local timber,
>stone, slate and bricks kilned on the site. Five
>U.S. Presidents have spoken in the
>Commencement Hall.
>West Virginia Independence Hall- journey bay to
>1862 when Wheeling was in Virginia,
>a state ripped apart by the American Civil War.
>West Virginia was born in this building,
>now a National Historic Landmark. This was the
>only territorial change resulting
>from this great conflict. Open daily from 10
>a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on Sundays in
>January and February and all state holidays.
>West Virginia Penitentiary- experience the
>history behind the towering walls of the
>Civil War era facility that served as a maximum
>security prison for 120 years. Glimpse
>"life on the inside". Listed on the National
>Register of Historic Places. Open Tuesday
>through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April to
>November. December to March by appointment.
>Let's meet in Wheeling
>By Airplane: The Pittsburgh International
>Airport is 60 miles from downtown Wheeling.
>Directions:
>Follow Business Rt. 60 toward Pittsburgh to I-79 South.
>Follow I-79 South toward Washington, PA. To I-70 West.
>Follow I-70 West toward Wheeling.
>After Wheeling Tunnel, take Exit 1 Main Street (Bare Right).
>Make a left on to Main Street South to 14th Street.
>Left on 14th Street, follow one block to Market Street.
>Left on Market Street to 12th Street.
>Hotel located on the right.
>Via Bus: Nationwide service is provided by
>Greyhound Bus Lines 1-800-231-2222.
>Driving Directions traveling I-70 from the East:
>Stay in the right lane through the Wheeling Tunnel on I-70.
>Take first Main Street, Exit 1.
>Left on Main Street South to 14th Street.
>Left on 14th Street one block to Market Street.
>Left on Market Street to 12th Street.
>Hotel located on the right.
>Directions traveling I-70 from the West:
>Take I-70 Exit 1A to Main Street.
>Turn right on Main Street South and follow to 14
>th Street.
>Left on 14th Street one block to Market Street.
>Left on Market Street to 12th Street.
>Hotel located on the right
>Driving Distances
>Baltimore 300 miles
>Boston 651 miles
>Buffalo 290 miles
>Charleston 179 miles
>Charlotte 450 miles
>Chicago 460 miles
>Cincinnati 240 miles
>Cleveland 177 miles
>Columbus 123 miles
>Detroit 330 miles
>Indianapolis 315 miles
>Lexington 320 miles
>Louisville 340 miles
>Montreal 710 miles
>Nashville 525 miles
>New York 425 miles
>Norfolk 490 miles
>Philadelphia 350 miles
>Roanoke 370 miles
>Richmond 405 miles
>Rochester 330 miles
>Syracuse 380 miles
>Toledo 270 miles
>Washington 300 miles
>
>
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>Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5323 (20100729) __________
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>The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
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>http://www.eset.com
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>The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
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>http://www.eset.com
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David Andrews: dandrews at visi.com
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