Wheeling National Heritage Area

The great 1849 suspension bridge of Wheeling extended the National Road west, bringing people and goods to the city. At the northernmost navigable port on the Ohio River, overland routes, river traffic and railroads converged, attracting entrepreneurs who manufactured iron, steel, nails, textiles, glass, tobacco products and other goods. The Wheeling National Heritage Area preserves and celebrates the city’s dramatic setting, resources and history, including its role as the birthplace of the state of West Virginia during the Civil War.