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The Sonneborn Shelter is the centerpiece and oldest structure of Wheeling Park’s Hilltop Area. The picnic pavilion was built in 1973 using laminated wood and antique bricks, in order to match the W.E. Stone Memorial Clubhouse and Pool. Between 1973 and 1984, six tennis courts and a shelter were also added nearby. Finally, soccer fields were added to the area in the late 1980s, rounding out the Hilltop Area’s development. The Sonneborn Shelter is named for Charles Sonneborn, a Wheeling businessman and real estate developer. Sonneborn and associate Louis Haller purchased the land Wheeling Park now occupies in 1924. Though the two men initially planned on selling the site in plots for residential construction, they instead offered to sell it to the city of Wheeling if $350,000 could be raised. Wheeling was able to raise the funds and Sonneborn’s offer is memorialized by the Sonneborn Shelter. The Sonneborn Gates at the entrance to the park are not named after Charles Sonneborn, but after his father, Moses.

Sonneborn Shelter and Hilltop Area

Before Wheeling Park was deeded to the newly formed Wheeling Park Commission in 1925, the area served as a private park. The grounds were owned by an English immigrant named Thomas Hornbrook, who welcomed the visitors that traveled from miles away to see the estate. Even after the property was auctioned to private investors in May 1883, locals continued to refer to it as Hornbrook’s Park for years. The grounds were transformed into an amusement park, and featured arcades, rides, a swimming pool, and The Casino, an entertainment center. At its peak, the park was owned by Reymann Brewing Company. The company designed the park to look like a German beer garden, which attracted visitors from Pittsburgh, northern Ohio, and the Washington D.C. area. The French actress Sarah Bernhardt even appeared at The Casino in 1905. However, due to the threat of prohibition and World War I, the park closed in the late 1910s. The first attempt by the city of Wheeling government and Chamber of Commerce to raise funds and purchase the park failed in 1923. In December 1924, two businessmen, Charles Sonneborn and Louis Haller, offered the public the option to raise $350,000 for park equipment, or the businessmen would purchase the 130-acre lot and sub-divide it. W.E. Stone, a prominent businessman and philanthropist, offered to give the first $100,000 if several conditions were met. The most important of these conditions was the stipulation that control of the park was to be under a non-partisan commission. Stone's offer encouraged other large donations by prominent citizens, including notable industrialist Earl W. Oglebay. By Christmas Eve of 1924, their goal was reached, so the newspaper headline on Christmas day read, “Wheeling Park is a Christmas Gift to the Wheeling Public.”Upon being officially christened as Wheeling Park, the outdoor space opened to the public on Memorial Day 1925. More than 10,000 people attended the opening ceremonies. While Wheeling Park was heavily improved and expanded in 1925, a fire burned down The Casino. By 1926, public funds had already been raised to replace this building. A pavilion popularly called the White Palace, but officially known as the Otto Schenk Memorial Pavilion was erected in the previous building's place.Wheeling Park, known as the people’s park by Wheeling residents, was a tremendous success. On the Fourth of July, 1926, twenty thousand people gathered in the park to celebrate the holiday — particularly impressive as Wheeling’s population at the time was between fifty and sixty thousand! Wheeling Park’s amenities in its first few years included a golf course, the White Palace, and over one hundred acres of green space.Improvements continued to be made to the park over the years. The first addition came in 1928 thanks to the Daughters of the American Revolution, who erected the Madonna of the Trail statue to honor pioneer women. The Frank Rock Garden was added in 1929. Public Works Administration funds allowed for the construction of a new swimming pool in 1937, which was the largest and most modern in the area. The Schwertfeger Shelter and Stifel Playground opened concurrently in 1948. In 1959, Wheeling Park became a year-round attraction with the opening of the Memorial Ice Rink. The most dramatic change to the recreational area was not due to new construction, but new acquisition. The purchase of three hundred acres of nearby property in 1960 almost quadrupled the size of Wheeling Park and provided fresh areas for expansion. The 1968 renovation of the swimming pool resulted in a new clubhouse known as the W.E. Stone Memorial Clubhouse and Pool. A few years later in 1972, additions to Good Lake included a boathouse, dock, and miniature golf course. A tennis air dome was also erected near the White Palace. In the 1970s and 80s, hilltop property was developed to include tennis courts, soccer fields, and the Sonneborn picnic shelter.No new major buildings have been added to Wheeling Park since the 1980s. However, renovations, updates to recreation spaces, and grounds improvements are all ongoing. Wheeling Park’s journey from private estate to public park has culminated in a space by which the Wheeling public is proud to be represented. The now 406-acre park remains one of the most popular outdoor spaces in the city.

Originally the private estate of Thomas Hornbrook, people travelled for miles to visit the grounds on which Wheeling Park is now located. The land was later owned by Reymann Brewing Company, who operated an amusement park at the site. The park was closed in the late 1910s and later acquired by the city of Wheeling. Wheeling Park officially opened in 1925, and quickly became a beloved component of the community. Over the next several decades Wheeling Park was constantly expanded and renovated and several major facilities were opened. In 1960, the size of Wheeling Park almost quadrupled when the total acreage was increased to 406. Today, the park features a number of statues, historic buildings, and recreational activities that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

The Sonneborn Gates are an architecturally striking welcome to Wheeling Park. The mirrored structure is made of limestone and wrought iron and was completed in 1928. Prior to the completion of this gate, Wheeling Park was fronted by a simple wooden hut under Thomas Hornbrook's ownership, followed by a much grander arch when the area was an amusement park. The road passes through the center of the Sonneborn Gates, while small arches on the side allow for pedestrian access. Though artfully executed, the gates are not gaudy or overwhelming and match the general scale of the park’s human-made elements. The name of the structure comes from Moses Sonneborn, who established The Hub department store, and was one of Wheeling’s most famous businessmen. When the city of Wheeling purchased Wheeling Park in 1924, they solicited prominent citizens to fund facilities in the park. Moses Sonneborn supported the construction of these gates. The Sonneborn Shelter is not named after Moses Sonneborn, but after his son, Charles.

Sonneborn Gates

The Schwertfeger Shelter and Stifel Playground were constructed concurrently in 1948. The Schwertfeger Shelter is a simple open-air pavilion supported by wood trusses. Modern brick reinforcements have been added to the corners of the structure. The central stone fireplaces are original to the building. The building was named for F.C.H. Schwertfeger, a Wheeling businessman and philanthropist. Schwertfeger was business partners with George E. Stifel, after whom the playground is named. Schwertfeger and Stifel dealt primarily in dry goods and were renowned for their support of education. Though the Schwertfeger pavilion is largely original, the Stifel playground has been repeatedly replaced and updated over the years. 

Schwertfeger Shelter and Stifel Playground

Good Lake has been a central feature of Wheeling Park since the space’s inception. While an amusement park occupied the site, Good Lake served as the bottom of a log flume ride called Shoot the Chutes. After the city of Wheeling acquired the park, the body of water moved into more of a passive beautification role. The Frank Rock Garden was established on the bank in 1929 and a wooden footbridge across the lake was added between 1925 and 1937. The Frank Rock Garden remains, though the footbridge was demolished in the latter half of the twentieth century. Another set of major renovations occurred in 1972. The eighteen-hole miniature golf course, a boathouse, and docks were all added to Good Lake. The amphitheater on one end of the lake was likely also added around this time, replacing an older open-air theater. All of these structures and facilities remain extant and operational. 

Good Lake

These days, the only animals one might encounter at Wheeling Park are local fauna such as squirrels and deer, or some family pets. However, this has not always been the case. When Wheeling Park was still owned by Thomas Hornbrook, a variety of exotic animals called the park home. Hornbrook imported leopards, lions, peacocks, and many other species from all over the world. This was one of the many reasons people travelled for miles to visit Hornbrook’s Park. Once Wheeling Park was converted into an amusement park in the late nineteenth century, the animals were removed. Otto Schenk, a major moving force in the creation of Wheeling Park as we know it, was intent on returning exotic animals to the area. In 1928, he made a philanthropic donation to the park in the form of an aviary. The building was named the Otto Schenk Memorial Aviary in his honor. In addition to returning peacocks to the park, the aviary also hosted tropical birds and birds of prey. The aviary — or flight cage, as it was often known — was located at the edge of the park lake. Supplementary animal housing for colder months was located behind the white palace, near where the tennis dome is now located. Shortly after the aviary was added to Wheeling Park, zoological cages were also added. Some of these were located near the aviary, while others were behind the White Palace. Though likely intended to house a number of animals, the zoological cages were only ever used for monkeys. Ten to twenty primates could be found in Wheeling Park at any given time. The exhibits were extremely accessible — it was not uncommon for park-goers to throw objects at the monkeys, or vice versa. Suffice to say, conditions and care of the primates were sub-par.No exotic animals remain in Wheeling Park. The monkeys were the first to go as public interest waned and opposition to their poor treatment grew. By 1973, the primates were entirely gone, though the zoological cages remained for several more years. The aviary was not torn down until 2000. A better understanding of bird care prompted Wheeling Park to reexamine its bird care protocols. This evaluation coupled with compounding structural damage to the aviary prompted the demolition of the building. The presence and subsequent absence of exotic animals in Wheeling Park is one of many evolutions that demonstrate the rich history of the site.

Wheeling Park was once home to more animals than just the indigenous wildlife. Thomas Hornbrook, the park’s first owner kept a wide variety of exotic animals on the grounds. Though the site exhibited animals no during its stint as an amusement park, after the city of Wheeling acquired the park, the Otto Schenk Memorial Aviary was added in 1928. The zoological cages were constructed shortly thereafter and only ever held monkeys. However, the monkeys were removed by 1973 with the aviary lasting until 2000. 

Otto Schenk Memorial Aviary and Zoological Cages (1928-2000)

The White Palace, officially named the Otto Schenk Memorial Pavilion, is one of Wheeling Park’s oldest surviving structures. The building was a replacement for the Casino, a large circular building that was a popular gambling and entertainment spot before prohibition. The Casino operated in the final two decades of the nineteenth century through the first two of the twentieth and hosted a variety of celebrity entertainers, such as French titan of the stage, Sarah Bernhadt, who performed at the Casino in 1905. Though the Casino building was still extant when the city of Wheeling acquired it and began to create Wheeling Park, it burned down in 1925, after not even a full year under new ownership. The Wheeling Park Commission opted to replace the Casino with an open-air dance hall which locals quickly dubbed the White Palace. From 1926 until 1950, the White Palace was the preeminent location in Wheeling for dances, balls, wedding receptions, and other social gatherings in temperate months. By 1950 however, Wheeling Park was beginning to transition to a year-round location. As part of this initiative, work began to enclose the White Palace. The pavilion remained semi-open to the outdoors for almost a decade before finally becoming a true enclosed building. Over the next few decades, many additions were made to the White Palace. Construction of the attached Memorial Ice Rink in 1959 necessitated true enclosure for the building. These days, the White Palace hosts a variety of events year-round. It also houses the Wheeling Park administrative offices, an arcade, gameroom, and a spacious ballroom.Otto Schenk, for whom the White Palace is officially named, was an important figure in Wheeling Park’s history. Schenk was born in Wheeling in 1868 to German immigrant parents. He worked at his father’s meat packing firm and established himself as a businessman through other profitable ventures. He was serving as a charter member and first chairman of the Wheeling Park Commission, when Wheeling Park’s site was up for sale. Schenk was instrumental in raising funds for the park by the deadline. Even after the park was established, Schenk continued his support. He donated an aviary, established a fund for a concert series, and provided a majority of the money needed to rebuild the White Palace. In recognition of his philanthropic endeavours involving Wheeling Park, the newly rebuilt White Palace was named in Schenk’s honor. A plaque and small bronze sculpture adorn the White Palace. The plaque reads “His devotion to the cause of public recreation distinguished him most in the eyes of people who enjoyed, and who will enjoy in perpetuity, the things his kindness and interest helped make possible… This devotion was as much a part of him as his simplicity, his energy and his sterling integrity.” The bronze sculpture is a relief portrait bust of Schenk in a suit and tie. Schenk died in 1933, just eight years after Wheeling Park was established.

The White Palace sits at the heart of Wheeling Park. The first building at this site was called the Casino, and was an entertainment center when Wheeling Park was still privately owned and operated. The Casino burnt down just a few months after the city of Wheeling acquired it. This structure was replaced by the White Palace, though the official name of the building was the Otto Schenk Memorial Pavilion after a Wheeling Park philanthropist. The pavilion was an open air structure until the 1950s, when several renovations and expansions began transforming the building into what you see today. The White Palace continues to be a cultural hub of Wheeling Park. 

The White Palace

When Wheeling Park first opened under the city of Wheeling, it still utilized the pool constructed when the site was still an amusement park. However, the pool was replaced in 1936-1937 thanks to Works Progress Administration (WPA) funding and a generous gift of $52,000 from W.E. Stone. Once completed, the new pool was the largest and most modern for miles. The WPA and Stone funded pool served Wheeling Park for over thirty years. One park employee estimated that the pool attracted between 75,000 and 80,000 swimmers each season.In the late 1960s, new features were planned for Wheeling Park to accommodate public interest in expanded and year-round recreational facilities. One of these was the W.E. Stone Memorial Clubhouse and Pool, which was completed in 1968. It was the park’s second year-round facility and completely renovated the pool. Due to the z-shape of the new aquatic feature, it was able to serve swimmers of all types through fifty-meter lanes, a diving well, and a special area for beginning and child swimmers. A waterslide was added in 1979 and later upgraded to a tube slide. The pool has been renovated and updated extensively since the 1960s, though its general layout remains almost identical. Visitors to Wheeling Park can still enjoy the pool during warmer months, and the park also offers swim lessons and other aquatic programming. The clubhouse is open year-round.W.E. Stone was once hailed in an Oglebay Institute meeting as “Wheeling’s First Citizen.” Stone was instrumental in establishing Wheeling’s Board of Trade and Chamber of Commerce, and also led the Wheeling Improvement Association. When Charles Sonneborn and Louis Haller offered to sell the site of Wheeling Park to Wheeling in 1924, Stone immediately offered the first $100,000 of the total $275,000 needed. In recognition of this generosity and his contribution to the 1937 pool, the 1968 pool and clubhouse were named in Stone’s honor.

For well over a century, Wheeling Park’s pool has been one of its primary attractions. The pool constructed by the amusement park that once occupied the site continued to be used in the first decade of Wheeling’s ownership of the park. It was replaced between 1936 and 1937, thanks to funding from the Works Progress Administration and W.E. Stone. This pool was again replaced in the late 1960s with the W.E. Stone Memorial Clubhouse and Pool that continues to serve Wheeling Park today. 

Wheeling Park

Sonneborn Shelter and Hilltop Area

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