Tag: Bishop Richard Whelan

March 12, 1850: Wheeling Hospital Chartered

On March 12, 1850, Wheeling Hospital was chartered. Founded by Catholic Bishop Richard Whelan and Dr. Simon Hullihen, it was the only medical facility of its kind between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

In 1856, the hospital moved to the mansion of Michael Sweeney in North Wheeling. It would remain at this location for the next 119 years. In 1864, the U.S. Army took over the facility and used it to treat wounded Civil War soldiers. Both Union and Confederate troops were cared for side by side.

The hospital grew swiftly in size in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And in 1900, a nursing school was established. The original hospital was torn down in 1933, and a new central portion was constructed on the same site. During World War II, the hospital established a Cadet Nurses Corps and furnished doctors and nurses for the war effort.

In 1975, the hospital moved to a new, more modern facility. The region’s first open-heart surgery was performed there in 1994. With a history dating back to 1850, Wheeling Hospital is the oldest institution of its kind in West Virginia.

May 31, 2008: Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy Graduates Last Class

The Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy in Wheeling graduated its last class of students on May 31, 2008. 

Bishop Richard Whelan founded the school in 1848 after encouraging eight Visitation Sisters from Baltimore to establish the Wheeling Female Academy. During the 1840s, scores of Catholic Irish immigrants were pouring into the Wheeling area to work on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The school was initially located in downtown Wheeling but in 1865 moved to a new building on the former Steenrod farm, three miles outside the city.

Until 1982, Mount de Chantal was a boarding school, known for its strong academic and fine arts programs. Declining enrollment and financial support led to the school’s closing in 2008, ending 160 years of education at the Mount.

Architecturally, the Mount de Chantal building was a good example of eclecticism with ‘‘Mission’’ style features. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

After the school closed, Wheeling Hospital purchased Mount de Chantal and demolished the building. Wheeling Jesuit University is establishing the Mount de Chantal Conservatory of Music in honor of the Visitation Sisters. 

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