Cathedral Parish School, kathedraal in West Virginia, Verenigde Staten van Amerika
Cathedral Parish School is a brick educational building located at the corner of 14th and Byron Streets in Wheeling, constructed in the late 1890s. Its Late Gothic Revival design features pointed arches, decorative brickwork, a distinctive pyramidal tower, and tall pointed windows, while a gymnasium added in 1939 expanded the complex.
The school opened in 1896 to serve Wheeling's growing population, particularly German-speaking families in the Cathedral parish community. Over the 20th century it expanded from boys-only to coeducational in 1923, underwent internal reorganizations, and ultimately closed in 2011 due to declining enrollment.
The school served as a center for the local German-speaking Catholic community and helped preserve their language and traditions in Wheeling. Beyond education, the building functioned as a gathering place where the neighborhood held celebrations and community events.
The building stands at a convenient street corner in the East Wheeling Historic District with good visibility from the neighborhood. Since the school is no longer operating, visitors can observe the exterior architecture and Gothic details from the street.
The school initially operated in the basement of St. Joseph Cathedral when it opened in 1896 before moving to its own building. This uncommon arrangement reveals how the parish community built their school from limited resources and later expanded it into an independent complex.
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