Editing Wheeling, West Virginia (section)

==Arts and culture==
[[File:West Virginia Independence Hall from southwest.jpg|thumb|[[West Virginia Independence Hall]]]]
The city of Wheeling has a rich and varied history. [[West Virginia Independence Hall]] was the site of the [[Wheeling Convention]], two meetings held in 1861 that ultimately reversed Virginia's [[Ordinance of Secession]]. 26 counties in Virginia's north and west voted against secession from the Union and created the new state of West Virginia, which the United States quickly admitted. Later in 1861 and continuing to 1863, the building was the site of many heated debates during the [[Wheeling Convention|First Constitutional Convention of West Virginia]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wvculture.org/history/statehood/cctoc.html|title=First Constitutional Convention of West Virginia|access-date=February 17, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229122103/http://www.wvculture.org/history/statehood/cctoc.html|archive-date=December 29, 2013}}</ref> including the name of the new state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wvculture.org/history/statehood/statename.html|title=The Naming of West Virginia|access-date=February 17, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114212650/http://www.wvculture.org/history/statehood/statename.html|archive-date=November 14, 2013}}</ref> The oldest building in the area is [[Shepherd Hall (Monument Place)]], built in 1798.<ref>Newton, J. H., Nichols, G. G., & Sprankle, A. G. (1990). History of the Pan-handle: Being historical collections of the counties of Ohio, Brooke, Marshall and Hancock, West Virginia ... Bowie, MD: Heritage Books.</ref>

[[File:Center Market Square Historic District.jpg|thumb|[[Center Wheeling Market|Centre Market]] is the focal point of the [[Centre Market Square Historic District]]]]
Wheeling is home to [[Center Wheeling Market|Centre Market]], formerly Wheeling's market house. Built in 1853,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.centremarket.net/historyContent.cfm?content=3 |title=Centremarket.net |access-date=February 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113033950/http://www.centremarket.net/historyContent.cfm?content=3 |archive-date=January 13, 2016 }}</ref> the market house and the surrounding area have been adapted for use as retail shops and restaurants.

The first official memorial monument in the state of West Virginia dedicated specifically to men killed in the [[Vietnam War]], was dedicated in Wheeling, with full military honors, in a Memorial Day 1986 ceremony. The monument was erected in front of the flagpole near the main shelter of Bethlehem Community Park in the village of Bethlehem, just southeast of Wheeling.
The roughly 6-foot-high granite memorial consists of a large bronze dedication plaque with the names of KIAs from the Wheeling/Ohio County region. Below the dedication plaque is a bronze map of South Vietnam, complete with names of 28 major cities.

===Theater===
[[File:Capitol Theatre Wheeling sm.jpg|thumb|[[Capitol Theatre (Wheeling, West Virginia)|Capitol Theatre]] marquee]]
Fans of theater have several options in Wheeling. The Capitol Theatre hosts numerous touring musical performances. The [[Oglebay Institute]]'s Towngate Theatre in Center Wheeling has produced plays for over 35 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oionline.com/theatre/index.htm |title=Oglebay Institute : Theater Season |access-date=December 29, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015115734/http://www.oionline.com/theatre/index.htm |archive-date=October 15, 2009 }}</ref>

===Music===
Wheeling has a long tradition of live musical performance and radio broadcasting. With over 2,500 seats, The [[Capitol Theatre (Wheeling, West Virginia)|Capitol Theatre]] is the largest theatre in West Virginia. Opened in 1928, The Capitol was home to ''It's Wheeling Steel'', a popular radio program in the early 1940s featuring musical performances by workers at a local steel plant. The Capitol has welcomed musical performances of all types, from [[Johnny Cash]], [[Merle Haggard]], and [[Tammy Wynette]], to [[Ray Charles]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[B.B. King]], and [[Black Sabbath]]. Other past performers include [[Jerry Seinfeld]], [[David Copperfield (illusionist)|David Copperfield]], and [[George Carlin]].

The [[Wheeling Symphony Orchestra]] is housed at the Capitol Theatre and performs a range of contemporary, classical, and seasonal arrangements.

Wheeling is also home to the [[Victoria Theater (Wheeling, WV)|Victoria Theater]], the oldest theater in West Virginia. The 700-seat Victorian-style theater was home to the [[WWVA Jamboree]] program from 1933 to 1936. More recently, it has been the site for the "Wheeling Jamboree", a local initiative started in 2009 and modeled after the original WWVA Jamboree (which changed its name in the 1960s to [[Jamboree U.S.A.]]). The original WWVA Jamboree ran from 1933 to 2007, making it the second-longest-running country radio program and variety show in the country, after the "[[Grand Ole Opry]]" in [[Nashville, Tennessee]].

Live music emanates from the amphitheatre at the Wheeling Heritage Port several nights per week from mid-spring through late fall. The waterfront park area hosts festivals, concerts, movie nights, celebrations, a regatta, and numerous visits from the ''Delta'', ''Mississippi'' and ''American Queen'' riverboats. The Port holds over 8,000 spectators and has become a city focal point.

Formerly held in nearby [[Belmont County, Ohio]], [[Jamboree in the Hills|Jamboree In The Hills]] draws over 100,000 country music fans to the Wheeling area every July.