Sicks Carriage House
Historical Building Finds A Home

With a quick Snip of some utility lines, the Sicks carriage house was off and on its way to a new home.

After sitting comfortably for the past 96 years on Dundee Road, just west of Milwaukee Avenue, the carriage house, which former resident John Sicks called just "a barn," was moved to the Wheeling Park District Park on Wolf Road.

There, the nearly century-old building will become a neighbor to the existing historical museum, formerly the first village hall, and the original Community Presbyterian Church, built 1865. Plans currently call for the building to be renovated to mirror the architecture of the late 1800's and early 1900's. (Countryside Staff photos by Bill Oakes)

ORIGINAL VILLAGE HALL

The white frame building at the west end of Chamber Park, which serves as our Historical Museum, was the original Wheeling Village Hall. It was built m 1895 at the cost of$553.26 for a building "20 by 30 foot", with two cells at the western end, 7 1/2 by 9 foot each." It served as a meeting place for the trustees, a police station and a court. A lean-to on one side, housed a hand pumper which was purchased by the Volunteer Fire Department in 1904. The pumper is now located at the Wheeling Village Fire Station.

There is one abbreviated cell remaining and an addition has been added at the rear of the building and also a basement. The latter serves as a working area and research center for the museum. Every inch of space upstairs is used for permanent and changing exhibits. This building was originally located at 84 South Milwaukee Avenue and was purchased by the Wheeling Park District and moved to it's present location in 1978.