West Virginia Independence Hall
Encyclopedia
West Virginia Independence Hall is located in Wheeling, West Virginia
, where it was built in 1860, under the supervision of architect Ammi B. Young
. During the American Civil War
it housed the Wheeling Convention
(1861) as well as the West Virginia Constitutional Convention (1863).
The building was originally built as the custom house for the Western District of Virginia and later became the center of government for the Restored Government of Virginia
from 1861 to 1863.
It housed the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
from 1860 to 1864, then the District of West Virginia from 1864 to 1901, and finally the Northern District of West Virginia
from 1901 to 1907.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1988.
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where it was built in 1860, under the supervision of architect Ammi B. Young
Ammi B. Young
Ammi Burnham Young was an important 19th century American architect whose commissions transitioned from the Greek Revival to the Neo-Renaissance styles. His Second Vermont State House brought him fame and success, which eventually led him to become the first Supervising Architect of the U.S....
. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
it housed the Wheeling Convention
Wheeling Convention
The 1861 Wheeling Convention was a series of two meetings that ultimately repealed the Ordinance of Secession passed by Virginia, thus establishing the Restored government of Virginia, which ultimately authorized the counties that organized the convention to become West Virginia. The convention was...
(1861) as well as the West Virginia Constitutional Convention (1863).
The building was originally built as the custom house for the Western District of Virginia and later became the center of government for the Restored Government of Virginia
Restored government of Virginia
The Restored Government of Virginia, or the Reorganized Government of Virginia, was the Unionist government of Virginia during the American Civil War. From 1861 until mid-1863 it met in Wheeling, and from 26 August 1863 until June 1865 it met in Alexandria...
from 1861 to 1863.
It housed the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia is a United States district court.Appeals from the Western District of Virginia are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia (in...
from 1860 to 1864, then the District of West Virginia from 1864 to 1901, and finally the Northern District of West Virginia
United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
The United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia is a federal court in the Fourth Circuit The United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (in case citations, N.D. W.Va.) is a federal court in the Fourth Circuit The United States District Court...
from 1901 to 1907.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1988.
See also
- List of historic sites in Ohio County, West Virginia
- List of Registered Historic Places in West Virginia
- List of National Historic Landmarks in West Virginia
External links
- West Virginia Independence Hall - official site
- A History by Delf Norona, ca. 1964
- Historic Federal Courthouses page from the Federal Judicial CenterFederal Judicial CenterThe Federal Judicial Center is the education and research agency of the United States federal courts. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1967, at the recommendation of the Judicial Conference of the United States....