Kirk’s Building

Wheeling, Ohio County
Construction Date: 1916
Threat: Neglect

March 2019 Update: The building has been demolished.

2017 Update: No updates have been made available to PAWV in 2017.

As of the last update provided to PAWV in 2016, the condition of the floors in the Kirk’s Building has worsened.  At the time the owner originally purchased the building, the first floor had fallen into the basement, but the remaining floors seemed relatively stable.  Currently, the floors are failing throughout the building.  Additionally, the roof is failing and the subsequent water damage is immense.  Wheeling National Heritage Area has been working with the owner to find a solution for the building.  Multiple architecture and engineering firms have been consulted.  Each firm has felt the high cost of rehabilitation would be money wasted.  However, one firm believes it might be possible to preserve the building’s façade, thereby maintaining the block’s historic context.  Wheeling National Heritage Area is currently seeking a buyer for the property who is interested in keeping the historic context of the block.

2014: The Kirk’s Building is an early Art Deco building located in the heart of downtown Wheeling. It is located on a gateway into the downtown district on Market Street and sits adjacent to the West Virginia’s Independence Hall. It is one of the few terra cotta buildings in Wheeling. Most recently, the building was home to Kirk’s Art Supply store. It was used in its entirety by this retailer from 1964 to 2008. For the past five years, the Kirk’s Building has been vacant and is suffering from deferred maintenance. Its ownership is in a transitional phase, as it was recently sold in a tax sale. There is a lot of support from Wheeling residents to preserve this property, and community supporters are working with the private owners to devise a plan to rehabilitate the building as a rentable commercial space.