Look Back: Building the Market House
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"A Century's Progress, From Pine Knots to Electric Lights, Wood County Annals" by Alvaro F. Gibbens, A.M. was created for the 1899 Wood County Centennial.
Gibbens describes the appearance of Court Square in those early years: "In the rear [of the courthouse] subsequently was erected, at the expense of the city, a Market House. The Jail was across Market Street, on the site of the present one, or perhaps a little South-west on the prison lot. It was of stone as far as the prisoners quarters, and of brick for the family of the Jailor. It is said that this jail was built by Peyton Butcher and Charles Price.
"Upon either side of the court edifice were one-story brick buildings, used respectively for the County and Circuit clerks. The space between the Court House building and the clerk's offices was about twelve or fifteen feet. Just back of these buildings, extending along Market Street, was located the market house with its brick pillars and low roof, eves [sic] extending out beyond the pillars, furnishing a shelter many feet outside of the house proper. ... Back of the old court house [on the Market Street side] and near the market house stood the whipping post, and the writer of this has pictured in his mind to this day, the appearance of a thief, one Bodine, who was sentenced to be publicly whipped for robbing the clothesline of one of our citizens, L.P. Neal.
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Town council
At the regular meeting of the Trustees of the Town of Parkersburg on Wednesday evening Sept. 13 [1843], at the Court House.
The board being organized, the committee appointed at a previous meeting to report a plan and specifications for a Market House in Parkersburg, reported and after some amendments the report was adopted as follows: Building to be fifty feet long and eighteen feet wide, built on brick pillars with a projection of the roof on each side six feet.
Ordered that the clerk advertise for proposals for building the same to be completed by the first day of December next.
The committee appointed to select a site for a Market House, reported in favor of Market Street between Neal [Second] and Kanawha [First] streets, which report was received and adopted.
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To builders
Sealed proposals for furnishing the materials and building a Market House at the foot of Market Street in the town of Parkersburg, to be completed by the 1st December next, agreeably to specifications which may be seen on application to the undersigned, will be received until the 27th inst; when the same will be opened by the Town Council, and the contract given to the lowest and best bidder; the board reserving the right to reject all the bids and issue new proposals.
Payment will be made as follows--One half on completion of the work to the satisfaction of the board; one fourth in three and the residue in six months thereafter.
The proposals may be left at the office of the President, or with the undersigned. By order of the board.
Sept. 20, 1843
G.K. Leonard, Clerk
Excerpt from The Parkersburg Gazette
Sept. 20, 1843
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Bob Enoch is president of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. If you have comments or questions about Look Back items, please contact him at: roberteenoch@gmail.com, or by mail at WCHPS, PO Box 565, Parkersburg, WV 26102.