Moving North Along the Ohio River to West Virginia and Beyond

Given the timing of this post, I'd like to wish a Merry Christmas to all! 

Following our sightseeing and basic exploration in the city  Marietta Ohio, we headed north following OH Hwy 7 along the Ohio River.  Pennsylvania , New York and Virginia were waiting for our tourist dollars and we were looking forward to many more sights and experiences.

                            

This was our view of the Ohio River after we'd crossed over into West Virginia at Moundsville.  Note the fisherman doing his thing at the lower right of the photo.

There is a nice little park on the Moundsville WV side of the Ohio River right at the base of the bridge.  Aptly named Riverfront Park, it was a good place for us to get out of the car, stretch our legs and take a couple of photos.  The Moundsville Bridge, formally known as the Arch A. Moore Bridge, after the former West Virginia Governor, Arch A. Moore, Jr., was completed in 1986.  Until the bridge was opened, this area was served by a ferry service.

This massive Richardson Romanesque sandstone structure on 7th Street in Moundsville was built in 1907 as a Methodist Episcopal Church.  Later it became the Simpson United Methodist Church.  Note the 'battlemented' octagonal tower at the left and the square tower with the same feature on the right side of the entrance.  This church is part of the Moundsville CommercialK Historic District as listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

This 110 year old church congregation built a 'mission church' in the 1920s just a few blocks away near the waterfront park.  That church was designed to minister to the immigrants who settled in an area of town that was then referred to as "Spanish Town".  That mission church building now serves at the Marshall County Historical Museum.

This historic Italianate style home at 609 Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville West Virginia was built in 1877.  It's known as the Ferrell-Holt House or, alternatively, "Kirkside".  Kirkside means 'beside the church',  In this case it is next door to the Simpson United Methodist Church. It was built by a prominent local dry goods merchant named Richard Ferrell.

The home's historical significance was enhanced when it was purchased in 1890 by J. Edgar Holt.  Holt came from a very prominent and politically active family.  He was a prominent attorney and he served as the Marshall County Court Commissioner as well as a Circuit Court Commissioner.  Other members of his family served as Governor of Ohio, U.S. Senator, 2 Supreme Court Justices and a number of legislators.  

When Holt died, the home was donated to the adjoining church.  For many years it served as the Parrish house and later it was transformed into the first community youth center in Moundsville.

The first photo above shows the front or main entrance to the old/retired West Virginia Penitentiary.  The second photo was taken at the rear of the old prison and it shows the old 'wagon gate' where the hangings took place.  This foreboding Gothic style prison operated as such from 1866 until it was closed in1995, serving almost 130 years!  Today it's operated as a tourist attraction, a museum, training facility and as a filming location.  The old prison's stone walls are 5 feet thick at the base, tapering to 2.5 feet thick at the top.  Foundations for the wall are 5 feet deep.  The front section of the structure is 682 feet long.

Back in 1866, Moundsville was an attractive site for the prison.  It was only 12 miles south of Wheeling West Virginia...which was the state capital at the time.  The design for the prison is a modified version of the Northern Illinois Penitentiary at Joliet Illinois.  Note: That notorious Illinois prison operated for 144 years...1858 until 2002.  Regarding the design, the Gothic Revival architecture exhibited great strength and conveyed a 'cheerless blank' indicative of the misery awaiting the unhappy persons who enter within it's walls.

The Moundsville Prison was expanded in 1959 due to conditions...overcrowding, etc.  The 5 foot by 7 foot cells were each occupied by 3 inmates.  Over the years 36 inmates were murdered here and another 94 were executed via hanging or "Old Sparky", the prisoner built electric chair.  In 1979 a prison break by 15 inmates grabbed the public's attention partially due to the murder of a policeman.  In a riot which took place in 1986, 2,000 prisoners took over the facility.

This plaque or symbol over the main entrance to the Moundsville West Virginia Prison is a variation of the official state symbol...two fellows with tools and crossed rifles underneath them...along with the Latin phrase "montani semper liberi", which translates to "Mountaineers are always free".  That is the state's official motto.

As I mentioned at the start of my comments regarding this old prison, tours are offered.  Several films have been shot here as have bits in TV shows.  Television paranormal teams have featured the prison in their shows as well... To learn about this tourist attraction, go to https://wvpentours.com/.

This is the Grave Creek Mound.  It's located near the former Moundsville West Virginia Prison.  This mound is one of the largest conical-style burial mounds in the USA.  It's 62 feet high and 240 feet in diameter.  Originally a 5 foot deep and 40 foot wide moat encircled the mound.  The builders of the site, members of the Adena culture, created this mound ca. 250 - 150 BC.  They had to move about 30 tons of dirt to build it... This ancient burial mound is a waypoint on the Lewis and Clark National Trail, its a National Historic Landmark and its on the National Register of Historic Places.

While the Mound itself is the prime attraction, it is part of the Grave Creek Mound Archaeology Complex which is operated by The West Virginia Division of Culture and History.  There is a research center as well as the Delf Norona Museum.  The museum (free) is open Tuesday through Saturday and it interprets the Adena Culture, displaying numerous artifacts related to that culture.  For more information, go to https://wvculture.org/explore/grave-creek-mound/.

For the shoppers out there, fear not!  Laurie did manage to find a shopping opportunity in Moundsville.  I didn't take a photo but she did make a purchase at The Farmhouse Peddler Floral and Gift Shop located at 1401 1st Street.  They are on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093439039771.

As we wandered through southwestern Pennsylvania toward our overnight destination at Johnstown, we drifted along back roads and two-lane highways, passing through Connellsville at one point.  This is the former Connellsville Union Passenger Depot, aka the Connellsville Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Station.  It was built by the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad in partnership with the Western Maryland Railroad.  This American Craftsman style depot was completed in 1912.  

In the photo from this old postcard, you can see what the Connellsville Depot looked like in the early 1900s.  Note the elevated rail lines adjacent to the depot.  Pittsburgh and Lake Erie operated trains going west and the Western Maryland Railroad operated the trains to the east.  The depot cost about $35,000 to build in 1911 and an additional $35,000 was spent on platforms and overhead work.  That 3-story tower served as a teletype and control room for the interlinking switches of both lines.

At one point there were 5 railway lines running through Connellsville.  The city was not only a busy railroad hub, it was also the home of the National Locomotive Works, a company that specialized in narrow gauge locomotives.  The depot ceased being used as a passenger station in 1939, after which it housed a car dealership and auto parts store.  It was purchased by the Youghiogheny Opalescent Glass Company in the spring of 1995.  Then, between 2017 and 2022, the Somerset Trust Company initiated a $1.9 million rehabilitation project.  It is now being used as office and meeting space for that company.

Moving on to the northeast toward Johnstown Pennsylvania, we followed a number of state highways and local roads.  Along the way we encountered increasing fall colors and some very relaxing roadways.  One sees so much more if you can stay off the big Interstate Highways...

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit! 🎄🎅🎄🎅!!!!✰

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave