History of the Blue Church
Consecrated in 1837 as St Matthew’s Episcopal, this Greek Revival church is one of the few pre-Civil war buildings remaining in Wheeling, and one of the oldest church buildings in the community. When St. Matthew’s congregation moved to its fourth home, the church was purchased by the First Baptist Church, whose members called it home for nearly 100 years. The building most recently was used by the Church of God and Saints of Christ.
When the Wheeling Young Preservationists and Wheeling Heritage heard that the church was for sale, they partnered to buy the building. Through generous donations from two local foundations and countless individuals from all over the country, the partners were able to raise the funds necessary to acquire the building. Due to its status as a contributing structure in the Monroe Street East Historic District, future developers can take advantage of State Historic Preservation grant programs and State and Federal Historic Tax credits.
Did You Know?
During the Civil War, St. Matthew’s suffered from the divided loyalties that were common at the time. In 1861, the rector of St. Matthew’s, the Rev. E. T. Perkins, reportedly abandoned the church by night, leaving behind his household goods, to take his family to the security of Richmond. Later, he agreed to return to Wheeling if the vestry would permit him to omit prayers for the President of the United States. The vestry declined his offer, believing that Abraham Lincoln did, indeed, need the prayers of the congregation.
Looking Forward
Since its transfer of ownership to Wheeling Heritage, the Blue Church has seen significant progress towards revitalization.
- In 2016, the roof was replaced after receiving a development grant from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
- In 2022, the project received an Opportunity Appalachia technical assistance grant, which funded pre-development work to position the building for redevelopment. Included in this work was a market study to determine the best potential use of the space; a 300-500 event /music venue.
- In 2023, a Survey and Planning grant was awarded by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to further this work.
- In 2024, Tipping Point was hired to administer the SHPO grant and to deliver structural concepts, an operations projection, and construction budgets for the proposed next steps.
While much work is left to be done, the space is poised to be developed and used by the community once again.
