February 23 marks what would have been Henry Warwood’s 200th Birthday. Born in 1823, Warwood emigrated to the United States first settling in Pittsburgh where he spent his early adulthood working in the steel mills. In 1854, Warwood moved to Martins Ferry, where he founded the Warwood Tool Company. As his company grew larger and more successful, the need to expand arose. In 1905, under new ownership after Henry Warwood’s retirement, Warwood Tool relocated to where it currently sits today at 164 N. 19th Street. Soon after the move, the residential community grew and was named Warwood, in honor of the man and business that brought so much prosperity to the community.
Today, Warwood Tool continues to operate in the Warwood neighborhood. Led by president, Chris Azur, the company continues to expand its audience through branding and social media marketing. From their website, Warwood Tool commits to “prioritize and honor the traditions and skilled labor of the employees present, and always produce a 100% American sourced and manufactured product, where small town roots meet a global platform.”
The Proclamation
Thanks to a group of local historians, led by Warwood resident Margaret Brennan, a proclamation was drafted in honor of Henry Warwood. The proclamation recognizes Henry Warwood’s contribution to Wheeling through his founding of Warwood Tool and the company’s impact on the creation of the Warwood Neighborhood. The proclamation was signed at Tuesday’s City Council meeting where Chris Azur and historians Margaret Brennan and Chaz Julian were present.
Celebrate Warwood with Wheeling Heritage
If that isn’t enough to instill some Warwood pride, you can take advantage of today’s springlike weather by taking a self-guided tour of Warwood. Created in 2018, the Warwood Architecture Walking Tour provides an overview of significant buildings and sites in the neighborhood, including Warwood Tool. You can also learn more about the Warwood Neighborhood on our Live Here page, or show your pride with a Warwood sweatshirt from Ditto Boutique.
No matter how you celebrate, take a moment today to reflect on Henry Warwood’s 200th birthday.
[embeddoc url=”https://weelunk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Warwood-Walking-Tour-Print.pdf”]• Betsy Sweeny is the director of heritage programming at Wheeling Heritage. She is an architectural historian, yoga teacher and dog mom to her rescue dog Marshall.