We love how much history is out here in the East! Last summer, we visited a local spot here in Wheeling called Mount Wood Castle and Cemetery. There are so many old cemeteries and buildings here - it's incredible! Local legend claims that an unknown person abandoned the magnificent dream structure when the love of his life unexpectedly perished. However, local historians discovered that in 1925, this property actually belonged to a local doctor who set out to build this dream home as a gift to his wife with the best views in the city (the view really is spectacular!) Before he was able to finish, the man was indicted for federal drug trafficking charges (The Ohio River seen in the view was perfect for transporting and facilitating all sorts of illegal activity back in the day) and the property was "donated" to the City of Wheeling. Sadly, what remains today has been defaced with graffiti and trash, but if you can look past that, the beauty of what could have been is enchanting. Between the spiral staircase, the rounded architecture, and carved out windows, I almost found myself wishing we could purchase this home and restore/finish it ourselves.... almost.
Across the street was an ancient cemetery full of the most eerie, yet reverent, graves. We enjoyed strolling the little paths and searching for the oldest grave we could find - we found one from 1772, over 235 years old! Another cool grave attributed a civil war vet! The mausoleums seemed to have come straight out of a scary movie, many of the tomb stones were cracked and had fallen over, and most were so weather-worn, they were illegible. I could have spent hours walking around this place! There were a plethora of children's graves and it broke my heart. How grateful I am to live in a time where we have medicine and sterile places for our children to be born!
I love the connection to the past that is felt all over this city and can't wait to explore even more this summer.
