Stained Glass Windows Tour in Downtown Wheeling Churches

On April 12, 2025 Friends of Wheeling held a walking tour of stained-glass windows in four of Wheeling’s downtown churches, with a final stop at Good Mansion Wines. This tour is part of a month-long focus on Wheeling glass, with a glass exhibit and several other activities at the Ohio County Public Library.

The first stop is St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church. A large German immigrant population built the original church in 1860. By 1891, the Gothic tower and bell were added. Services were done in German until World War I. The 1950s chapel was added in memory of those lost in World War II.

Second is St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. This congregation began in 1819, next moved to the 12th & Byron Street “Blue Church,” and moved to the current Gothic-Revival-style building in 1888. In addition to other beautiful architectural details, this church features six Tiffany stained-glass windows.

The third stop is First Presbyterian Church. Noah Zane, a son of Wheeling’s founder Ebenezer Zane, donated the land for this church, which was built between 1823 and 1825. It’s believed to be the oldest extant building in downtown Wheeling and originally featured a tall bell tower and clock.

The last church visit is St. Joseph’s Cathedral. An earlier Catholic cathedral, named St. James, once stood at the same location. The current Lombard Romanesque building was dedicated in 1926 and is one of the largest churches in West Virginia.

The final stop is Good Mansion Wines, the former home of businessman Lee Samuel Good, owner of the L.S. Good Department Store. The neo-classical revival mansion was built in 1904 for $7,000. The architect was Millard F. Giesey, and most of the materials were produced in Wheeling by local craftsmen. A few years later, Good invested another $7,000 in renovations, installing intricate woodwork and two dozen stained glass windows. The home also features original paintings and ceiling murals by a German artist named Kaufman, hand painted tiles, inlaid hardwood parquet floors, and a bronze statue of the goddess Orchadia. The Good family sold the house in 1944, and it now is the location of a wine shop that has been restored to much of its original grandeur.