Independence Hall
John Canning & Co. served as the prime specialty contractor and conservator for Independence Hall, researching, defining, and restoring the courtroom and entrance hall’s original historic decoration.
BUILDING FACTS
Location: Wheeling, WV
Built: 1859
Original Architect: Ammi B. Young
Style: Renaissance Revival
SCOPE
Independence Hall has a rich history, as it has served as a central backdrop to significant West Virginia events. From the pro-union conventions in 1861, to being the site of the first constitutional convention.
The building served as a Customs House, Post Office, Court House, and is currently a Cultural Museum. John Canning & Co. was the prime specialty contractor and conservator for the restoration of the decorative finishes and trompe l’oeil artwork in the 3rd floor Courtroom and Entrance hall. We had little information to work with: only fragments of the original decoration from small sections of plaster ceiling found in the attic, an illustration published in Harper’s Weekly documenting the 1863 convention, paint exposures, and microscopy analysis.