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The Athenaeum
Posted by:
dukemartin
N 40° 03.832 W 080° 43.307
17T E 523726 N 4434882
A short history of the largest building in Wheeling.
Waymark Code: WM14YGY
Location: West Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 09/12/2021
Views: 0
The Athenaeum
Built in 1853~1854 for use as a theater, warehouse, and office space, it was the largest building in Wheeling at the time. During the Civil War, it became a Union military prison, mostly for the transitory holding of POWs and Southern sympathizers, earning the foreboding moniker of "Lincoln's Bastille." A prison until 1865, it was destroyed by fire in 1868.
Marker Number: None seen on sign
![](/images/spacer.gif) Marker Title: The Athenaeum
![](/images/spacer.gif) Marker Location: 16th street
![](/images/spacer.gif) County or Independent City: Wheeling
![](/images/spacer.gif) Web Site: [Web Link]
![](/images/spacer.gif) Marker Program Sponsor: West Virginia Archives & History, 2017
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