Centre Market Square Historic District, Historic district in Wheeling, United States.
The Centre Market Square Historic District stretches across 18 acres along Market Street between 20th and 23rd Streets in Wheeling, West Virginia. The area contains 181 contributing buildings displaying Greek Revival and Renaissance Revival architecture, with notable structures like the Second Presbyterian Church from 1850 and St. Alphonsus Church completed in 1887.
The district developed around the Upper Market House, the first market house in the United States, which originally served as an open-air marketplace for the community. The architecture reflects Wheeling's growth during the 1800s, with churches and commercial buildings that document the city's economic and social development through that era.
The former German Evangelical Lutheran Zion's Church, built around 1850, now houses the Oglebay Institute-Towngate Theatre where performances take place year-round. The space shows how the district has evolved into a cultural gathering point that draws people together for arts and entertainment.
The district is located along Market Street between 20th and 23rd Streets and is easy to navigate on foot, with antique shops, restaurants, and local businesses nearby. The flat terrain and connected streets make it pleasant to explore the area at your own pace without worrying about steep hills or confusing paths.
The Upper Market House here was the first market house in the United States and originally operated as an open-air marketplace rather than an enclosed building as became common later. This detail makes the location a key spot in the story of how American commercial spaces developed.
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