Wheeling erects statue of W.Va. founder Francis Pierpont
WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) — Wheeling has erected a statue of West Virginia founding father Francis H. Pierpont at the site of the state’s birthplace.
City officials unveiled the 1,200-pound bronze statue outside Independence Hall on Saturday.
Pierpont served as governor of the Reorganized Government of Virginia, which was formed in 1861 during the Second Wheeling Convention at Independence Hall. He served as governor until 1863, when West Virginia became a state.
The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register report that a descendant of Pierpont, Ted Beyer of Connecticut, attended Saturday’s ceremony. Beyer says Pierpont helped to create West Virginia. He says glad to see a statue honoring Pierpont.
The statue is one of only two of Pierpont in existence. The other statue stands in Statuary Hall in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.