Wheeling Heritage Accepting Bids for Soldiers and Sailors Monument Move

Wheeling Heritage is asking contractors to submit sealed bids for the relocation of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The structure, which is currently located at Wheeling Park, will be moved to the lot beside West Virginia Independence Hall.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on June 15 at 11 a.m. at West Virginia Independence Hall at 1528 Market Street, Wheeling. Those in attendance will receive forms necessary to submit a bid.

This bid includes the monument’s move – approximately five miles – as well as excavation and engineered fill construction, concrete footing construction, and its disassembly and reassembly.

The monument, which is dedicated to Union soldiers who died in the Civil War, is estimated to weigh 68 tons and is 19.5 feet wide and 26 feet tall. It features 19 blocks of limestone and three granite figures, with Lady Liberty at the top and a soldier and a sailor on opposite sides of the base.

Dedicated in 1883, the monument was originally placed at the old county courthouse. Its relocation beside Independence Hall, known as the birthplace of West Virginia, has seen a wide community support. More than $75,000 has been raised for the effort.

The move will be supervised by a professional statue conservator, employed by the owner, who will also be doing repairs and cleaning of the monument after the move. The project completion date is no later than November 1.

Contractors will be selected based upon cost, experience with similar preservation projects and proven ability to complete a project. The work must be carried out in compliance with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

Construction documents will be available on June 12 by calling Bekah Karelis 304-232-3087 or bkarelis@wheelingheritage.org.

All bids must be received no later than 4 p.m. June 30, and can be sent to Wheeling Heritage, c/o Bekah Karelis, PO Box 350, Wheeling, WV 26003.