Former Wheeling Officials Investing in Future by Preserving the Past | News, Sports, Jobs

Former Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott stands next to a decorative copper fleur-de-lis before it was refurbished and placed back atop The Professional Building at 1300 Market St., where it had been mounted over the city’s downtown for 132 years before Elliott had this portion of the roof replaced and restored this year. (Photo Provided)

WHEELING — Former members of Wheeling City Council recently stepped down from their roles in city government, but each one of them continues to contribute to the city’s future by working to revive pieces of Wheeling’s past.

The former council members — Glenn Elliott, Chad Thalman and Rosemary Ketchum — have all been working to rehabilitate historic structures in the city. Former Mayor Glenn Elliott has made significant investments in the Professional Building on Market Street. Former Vice Mayor Chad Thalman is finishing a complete renovation in one of two historic buildings further up Market Street across from the Plaza on Market. Former Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum has been working to renovate an historic residence in South Wheeling.

All three finished their terms at the end of June — Elliott and Thalman after eight years in service to the city and Ketchum after four years.

During their tenures in office, the trio was part of a council that championed not only efforts that helped further historic preservation, but also efforts that bolstered pride in Wheeling’s neighborhoods and in the Friendly City as a whole.

They are among a new wave of city residents investing in private revitalizations and making a difference one property at a time. The collective effort from private and public entities over the past few years has resulted in what many describe as a renaissance in Wheeling – a transformative rebirth that is opening a new chapter in the city’s history through literally hundreds of millions of dollars in investments.

When it comes to historic properties, there are incentives to help investors accomplish their goals.

“State and federal historic tax credits are available that can offset the cost of up to 45% of the rehabilitation of qualifying historic buildings,” Elliott noted. “But they do come with a lot of red tape and generally require professional assistance.”

In West Virginia, there is also a State Historic Preservation Office development grant of up to $50,000 for qualifying exterior improvements to historic buildings.

While no longer taking on leadership roles in an official capacity for the city, the former council members are leading by example when it comes to putting time, effort and some private dollars behind the charm of Wheeling’s past and their belief in the city’s future.

The Professional Building

Built in 1892 by The City Bank of Wheeling, the six-story Victorian structure at 1300 Market St. was originally known as the City Bank Building. It was the tallest business building in the state at that time. Around 600 tons of granite from New England were used to construct the Richardsonian Romanesque facade designed by architect Edward Bates Franzheim.

Over the decades, the building has housed the Dollar Savings & Trust Co. (a predecessor to WesBanco), the now-defunct Wheeling Stock Exchange, doctors’ offices and other business practices, and during that time in the 20th Century, it was renamed The Professional Building. Elliott has collected a number of old newspaper articles about the building and other documents detailing the iconic building’s storied past.

“Historic structures like the Professional Building serve as a powerful reminder of our city’s rich history, when architects were challenged to design buildings to impress and stand the test of time,” Elliott said. “They also give our community an authentic feel that cannot be replicated by modern developments.”

Elliott purchased the building in 2013. He said his interest was sparked by participating in the 2013 Valentines Day “Heart Bombing” event organized by the now-defunct Ohio Valley Young Professionals.

“I distinctly remember standing in the WesBanco parking lot and having one of those ‘aha’ moments when told it was for sale at a price of $120,000,” Elliott said. “I did my homework on it and was provided a building assessment for it that had been prepared by Wheeling Heritage. I offered the owners (Bob and Cheryl Joseph) $60,000. A few months later, we agreed on a sale price of $70,000.”

While Elliott got a good price for the landmark building that truly stands out like a one-lot castle on Market Street, the structure was in need of a significant amount of work, investment and TLC.

“Prior to this year, I had invested several hundred thousand in upgrades and general maintenance for the building, including replacing the rear flat roof in 2015,” Elliott said. “During that same time, I have also invested thousands of hours of my time restoring interior finishings, windows, masonry and flooring.”

Many visitors to downtown Wheeling have taken notice of the significant investment that took place in recent months at the building, which had been wrapped in scaffolding earlier this year when the Market Street-facing section of the building had its peaked roof replaced and refurbished.

“Earlier this year, I had the steep front roof replaced by Kalkreuth Roofing,” Elliott said. “Because of the complexity of the job — the height, steepness of the slope, and the conical turret — and the abatement costs of removing the prior asbestos shingles, this was a $230,000 project.”

Elliott took advantage of state funding available for historic renovations, but did not utilize any of the city’s programs while he was in office, although his building would have been eligible. Assistance through the West Virginia Historic Preservation development grant program helped with the exterior improvements.

“I was able to utilize this grant to offset some of the cost of my 2015 and 2024 roof replacement projects,” Elliott said. “The city of Wheeling also now has a facade improvement grant of up to $15,000 for qualifying facade and roof improvements. Though my recent roof project was eligible, I opted not to apply, as I was still in office as mayor and did not think it would be appropriate to do so.”

Since Elliott purchased the building, his vision for it has evolved.

“My original plans were to restore it as an office building like it had always been,” he said. “But in the time since, the market has changed, and I have also gotten married. My wife has convinced me its best use would be as either a boutique hotel or as an Airbnb. And I do think there would be a market for those seeking to stay somewhere with such unique architectural features.”

The biggest challenges Elliott said he has faced with rehabilitating the downtown landmark have been financial. In the long run, a total renovation of the massive structure will likely amount to a million-dollar investment.

“Running for and being elected mayor was an incredible honor that I will always be proud of,” he said. “But it was also a costly decision personally to spend 40-plus hours a week on a job that essentially pays less than minimum wage. And because we are essentially talking about a seven-figure overall renovation project to fully restore the building for commercial use, it will be a few years before we are in a position to finance such an undertaking.”

While Elliott’s long-term venture with the Professional Building rehab is a substantial one, he noted that the challenge of preserving a piece of Wheeling’s history is incredibly rewarding and can be done on a much smaller scale in nearly any neighborhood in town.

“The cost of Wheeling real estate is still relatively affordable, though it appears prices for similar historic properties are increasing,” he said. “Projects like these are not for everyone. But it can be immensely rewarding to see yourself as a steward of a magnificent building that was here decades before you were born and will remain long after you are gone.”

Because of term limits, Elliott had to step down after serving two terms as Wheeling’s mayor. However, he has remained on the campaign trail this election season and is the Democratic nominee in West Virginia’s race for a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by current Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

“My travels around the state for my current Senate campaign have only reinforced for me the value of historic preservation,” Elliott added. “Those communities that are seeing the most success tend to be those who have made historic preservation a priority.”

photo by: Eric Ayres

Former Vice Mayor Chad Thalman poses near the Plaza on Market in downtown Wheeling, where he recently purchased and rehabilitated two historic buildings across the street. Thalman owns the buildings at both 1062 Market St., which houses Taqueria 304, and 1068 Market St., which houses Tito’s Sloppy Doggs. Thalman is in the process of renovating both of these downtown buildings.

1068 Market St.

Former Ward 1 Councilman and Vice Mayor Chad Thalman has been investing in a complete renovation of the upper floors in one of two historic buildings he acquired on Market Street across from Market Plaza.

Both structures date back to the 1800s, and through research by local historian Jeanne Finstein, Thalman was able to learn a good deal about the history of the building at 1068 Market St., which has been the primary focus of his renovation efforts so far.

Early deed records show that Irish immigrant William Paxton purchased the lot for this property in the spring of 1851. A Wheeling map dated 1853 showed at least one or more buildings on the lot, and an 1871 map shows three distinct buildings there.

The first reference found for an occupant at 1068 Market St. was in the 1877 City Directory, when it was home to Hoge and Company Hardware. An insurance map from 1884 also shows a three-story hardware store at this address. The property changed ownership in 1906, and since then, several businesses have operated out of this location – including Brunhaus Brothers Restaurant, the Dinner Bell Restaurant, the Blue House Restaurant, the Wheeling Restaurant, New Neighborhoods Inc. and Porky’s Cafe. There have been a number of residential tenants in the building in the past, and it was even a business location for an artificial limb salesman in the late 1910s.

Today, both buildings have popular local restaurants renting spaces on their first floors – Taqueria 304 is housed in Thalman’s building at 1062 Market St., and Tito’s operates its downtown location out of 1068 Market St.

Thalman said he purchased both structures around the same time early last year.

“I bought those two buildings in February 2023,” he said. “I bought the downtown buildings in part to practice what I preach. As vice mayor, I was always encouraging developers to invest in the city and downtown. I also wanted to do my part to help downtown, not just as a member of council, but also as an individual.”

Thalman also owns residential properties in Warwood, North Park and North Wheeling. One structure in Warwood and the one in North Wheeling were also built in the 1800s, he noted. The two commercial properties on Market Street will most likely both be mixed use structures in the future.

At 1062 Market, the exterior of the building was recently painted, and work is being done to replace a missing window molding, with one of the existing pediments removed to use as a reference to match it. The building at 1062 was once three stories, but now is a two-story structure, Thalman explained.

“The second floor of that building is unoccupied, and I’m not sure what I’ll do on that floor,” Thalman said, noting that much of his efforts in this block has focused on renovations to the interior upper floors of 1068 Market St.

The renovations have been extensive, as the second and third floors were gutted, rehabilitated and totally modernized, complete with the latest fire safety equipment. The upper floors have been converted into apartments.

Challenges associated with these renovation efforts have been numerous, and oftentimes unexpected, Thalman noted.

“You just have to adapt to the situation and work through them,” he said. “I would encourage people to understand the numbers and take advantage of every tax credit and grant they qualify for. As a member of council, I didn’t take advantage of those because I didn’t feel it was appropriate. Now as a private citizen, I will be applying for whatever I qualify for. Oftentimes it doesn’t make financial sense to take on these older buildings without the use of tax credits and grants.”

Tax credits and grants benefit the developer in getting buildings renovated, and then the taxpayers get a return on that investment when buildings and upper floors are put back into productive use and generate additional tax revenue, Thalman noted.

Former Wheeling Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum worked to renovate a historic residence in South Wheeling known as The Pebler House. (Photo Provided)

The Pebler House

In South Wheeling, Ketchum has been restoring The Pebler House on Eoff Street.

“Deed records suggest that this home was built by John Pebler at some point after he purchased the property in July 1879 for $1,910,” Ketchum said.

Pebler (1848-1926) was a German immigrant who was a stogie maker with the Pollock Company, makers of Crown Stogies. He and his wife, nee Caroline Meyer (1851-1921), another German immigrant, had a growing family by the time of the February 1880 census. Listed as family members were John, age 31; Caroline, 29, a homemaker; William, 8, and Matilda, 6, were school students, and Frederic, 4, Annie, 3, and Clara, 4 months, rounded out the busy household.

“I purchased the Pebler House in March of 2022,” Ketchum said. “I first saw the property after attending a South Wheeling Preservation Alliance meeting. I fell in love with the simple Italianate-style features, the intact original cornice and sandstone foundation.”

Ketchum indicated that she caught the fever of the Friendly City’s growing historic preservation trend – a trail that a number of locals have blazed in recent years.

“I am also deeply inspired by the restoration movement in Wheeling and the interest in saving our historic buildings,” she explained. “This is my first home, and I am funding the renovation without a building loan. I have spent an estimated $17,000 on current renovations and plan to complete the full renovation by the summer of 2025.”

The Pebler House was converted from a single-family home into a duplex sometime in the 1930s. It will remain a residential duplex, Ketchum said.

“Of the many things we can be proud of and cherish in our city, the district and historic architectural stock present here is perhaps the most important,” Ketchum said. “Encouraging and supporting responsible property renovation and restoration is key to building a city that embraces its future and honors its past.”

According to Ketchum, the biggest challenges in restoring the historic property has been money and time.

“I’ve decided to take on a majority of the renovation myself, both to keep costs low but also to learn how to save an old building,” Ketchum noted. “With that said, to do it well, you need to take your time and be thoughtful about how you address the restoration process. These old buildings deserve more than a slap of paint – they deserve to be cared for with the same pride they were built with.”

Ketchum added that there is plenty of community support in Wheeling when it comes to investing in old buildings because so many knowledgeable people have already been down this road before. She encouraged anyone interested in historic building preservation to look into a potential investment of their own – a venture that can be very rewarding.

“Bringing an old building back to life has been one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done,” Ketchum said. “Yes, it’s hard, but the community of historians, preservationists, handymen and curious onlookers gives me a sense of purpose and joy for the work we are doing throughout Wheeling.

“If you are thinking about taking on a project like this, you can be part of the future of Wheeling by preserving the past. It’s absolutely worth it!”