Chuck and Vera Wood, the owners of the Vigilant bookstore, purchased the old North Wheeling Firehouse at 650 Main Street with plans to renovate the space and turn it into a bookstore, coffee shop, and community space. Eager to open the store, they opened their interim location at 1900 Market Street while they renovated the old Firehouse.
The Vigilant Bookstore at 1900 Market Street opened in October 2019, with a Grand Opening Event in November 2019. At the Grand Opening, Chuck Wood invited several local authors to attend the event.
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North Wheeling Firehouse Location Progress
Progress continues to unfold at the North Wheeling Firehouse Location! Chuck and Vera gave a tour of the progress. The Woods have owned the building for six years. They have hoped to have it open sooner, but as with all renovation projects, timelines often become extended. Nonetheless, the space is coming together and it will be an incredible “third place” for the community!
Revitalization Through Preservation
Chuck and Vera’s renovation of the historic North Wheeling Firehouse is one of the inspiring projects supported by the Wheeling Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program, funded through the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service. This grant program was created to support the rehabilitation of historic properties in rural communities and to spark economic growth through thoughtful preservation. Receiving this funding has made a significant difference in the progress of the firehouse renovation, helping to offset the substantial costs of restoring a 130-year-old structure while honoring its unique architectural features and historic value. For Chuck and Vera, the support has been instrumental in bringing their vision to life—transforming the building into a vibrant bookstore, café, and gathering space that will serve as a welcoming “third place” for the Wheeling community. Their project reflects the very heart of what this grant program is meant to achieve: breathing new life into old spaces while building stronger, more connected communities.
The Plans
The front section of the building will be open with bookshelves, tables, and plenty of seating. They plan to have a cafe in the front section, as well, that will sell soups, sandwiches, coffee, tea, and pastries.
In the back section, they plan to have a stage for poetry and music, a community meeting room, a reading room, and a children’s play area. The stage is going to be named the Frederic Wizba Stage after a dear friend of theirs who passed away in 2010.
The History of the Firehouse
The old firehouse was built in 1891. The man who owned the convenient store at the time wanted to have a fire station in his neighborhood. He gave $6,000 to have it built.
The original fire station had burned down. A group of firefighters were sitting in front of the building when a boy ran up to them and said your building is on fire.
The columns on the left side of the building are off centered. This was due to the ever growing sizes of the fire engines. While the building was in operation, the fire department received a new engine and needed to reframe the garage door so that the engine was able to fit.
The original bell from the bell tower is now at the current North Wheeling Firehouse at 801 Main Street.
One of the most interesting features of the building is the old horse troughs. Back in the day, the Fire Department wagons were pulled by horses and 4” wide floor troughs channeled waste for disposal.
About Chuck Wood
Chuck and his wife, Vera, were brought to Wheeling because of the Challenger Center at Wheeling University. Prior to that, Chuck had work experience at the Biosphere 2 in Arizona, training astronauts, and some time spent in Nicaragua to study volcanoes. Chuck Woods also helped train Christa McAuliffe, one of the astronauts on the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L.
Chuck, originally from Missouri, shared that he and his wife Vera have lived in Wheeling longer than any other place.
One thing he discovered about Wheeling, Chuck says, is “[Wheeling] has such an amazing history that hardly anyone outside of it knows about.”
“Wheeling’s future is based on its history,” Chuck shares.
A Third Place
Chuck’s vision for the new Vigilant Bookstore is to provide another “third place” for the community. This is defined by where people spend their time, a “first place” is a person’s home, “second place” is work, and “third place” is where people enjoy time beyond those places.
You see articles about people being lonely, on their phones, etc. A third place is a place where you can go and sit and enjoy for free. -Chuck Wood
Chuck is remarkable in his ability to envision new projects later in life, his dedication to preserving history, and his passion for building community. We can’t wait to see this vision come to life! A true example of preserving the past while looking forward to the future, and keeping the heart of community at the center of it all!
