Posted April 16, 200718 yr Old industrial river towns are always fascinating. So many of them look as if they've been hit by those stupid "smart bombs" that leave the buildings standing and the people ... well, who knows where they went. Some may look at the buildings and see empty shells. I look at them and see all the activity that used to be there and should be there again. I see the remnants of beautiful old buildings and parks and streets all on a scale that once was synonymous with "community." I passed by Bellaire a few years ago -- just south of and across the Ohio River from Wheeling -- and was amazed that a long, narrow town of fewer than 5,000 people, nestled between the bluffs and the river, had a nine-story bank tower dominating its skyline and handsome streetscape. It's a village now, but was a city most of its existence -- with 14,000 people 135 years ago and 20,000 in 1940, when its glassmakers and other industries thrived. I finally got a chance to go back with my camera a couple weeks ago. I took a few shots and got a bit of the flavor. Downtown is dominated by the nine-story First National (now Chase) Bank and the 1873 stone-arch railroad bridge on which trains pass by the third-story windows of downtown buildings. Several other buildings are four and five stories, and there are few vacant lots (on the main street, anyway), though there are plenty of vacant storefronts. Downtown through the stone-arch bridge The bridge cuts through a downtown alley and curves southward Streetscape just north of the bridge Old bank building and less-impressive new bank building Presiding over downtown Bellaire Streetscape looking south Beautiful urban-style city park at the northern edge of downtown, with a fountain in the center and, I believe, the high school in the background Looking south from the park Looking east, a block off the main drag. Behind me, four lanes of Rt. 7 cut off the city from the Ohio River The main drag is intact; this street is not Bank tower from the alley The bridge, part of the downtown fabric Arch as frame Stone Bridge tavern Streetscapes, with bank tower and arches Bank tower with West Virginia bluffs Bellaire skyline with other railroad bridges
April 16, 200718 yr Huh...ColDay goes off to Boston and Montreal and there is Ohio left to be done! Nice photos, looks like a cool place!
April 16, 200718 yr Nice gallery! Sadly, Bellaire is typical of the region. Wheeling has not gained population since 1930. Weirton-Steubenville MSA is ranked #3 in population losses (after #1 New Orleans and #2 Biloxi -- Hurricane Katrina) and Wheeling MSA is ranked, IIRC, #8.
April 16, 200718 yr I haven't! ;) I need to explore Bellaire then. Thanks! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 16, 200718 yr There's not a whole lot to explore in Bellaire, but if you do visit make sure to stop by the Roosevelt. It is an old school, no frills, red checkered table cloth & wood paneling, ohio valley Italian restaurant that makes some kick ass homemade food. When they run out pasta or sauce for the day; that's it. A small order of spaghetti is $2.50 and a large is $3.50 - I seriously don't think there is a thing on the menu over $6. This is the type of place that seems to only exist in a town (village) like Bellaire these days.
September 9, 200717 yr Isn't Bellaire where they shot the ending of "The Silence of the Lambs?" In the movie it was the fictional town of Belvedere, OH. Does anyone have any shots of filming locations?
Create an account or sign in to comment