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West Virginia Independence Hall, Wheeling, WV

Photo: Nyttend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sightseeing

West Virginia Independence Hall

A restored 19th-century federal custom house in downtown Wheeling where Civil War-era Unionist leaders met and organized the push for West Virginia statehood.

1528 Market Street, Wheeling, WV 26003 · Wheeling, WV

About West Virginia Independence Hall

Built in the late 1850s as a federal custom house, post office, and courthouse, this sandstone building in downtown Wheeling later served as the seat of the Restored Government of Virginia under Governor Francis Pierpont. Delegates met here during the Wheeling conventions and the first West Virginia constitutional convention, and the state's 1863 admission to the Union grew out of those meetings. The site was restored in the 1960s using the original architect's plans. Today it operates as a free state museum with exhibits that include Civil War battle flags, the restored courtroom, and Pierpont's former office. Its historical role is recognized by federal landmark and register listings.

  • #civil war
  • #statehood
  • #wheeling
  • #custom house
  • #museum

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