McLure House

Hotel & ConferenceCenter 

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 12^th St. 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 strucure 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 WheelingSuspension 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 MountainState’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.