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Altenheim Purchased, March 14, 1890
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-from the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Saturday, March 15, 1891
REYMANN’S LIBERALITY
Again Displayed in the Purchase of Mt. Belleview
FOR A HOME FOR AGED WOMEN
How He Proposes to Have It Conducted — Dr. Swope to be Ono of the Trustees — A Description of the Property.
Yesterday Mr. Anton Reymann purchased from Messrs. Frank Walters and Thomas P. Shallcross the Mt. Belleview hotel property and about six acres of ground surrounding it, for $10,000. Mr. Reymann's object in purchasing this desirable property is a grand one! He proposes to transform the hotel into a perfectly appointed charitable institution to be known as a Home for Aged Women, and to make it not only a local institution, but a State institution as well. It is understood that Mr. Reymann has long had it in his mind to establish an institution something like this—either a home for aged women or for aged men, or for both sexes together. On his recent trip to Europe he took occasion to look into and study as to the operation of similar homes in the old country, and his investigations into the subject have been continued on this side of the ocean. Mr. Reymann will, it is understood, appoint as a Board of Trustees, five well known gentlemen of this city to whom he will deed the property for the purpose indicated. In appointing this Board Mr. Reymann will reserve the right to fill all vacancies that may occur by death, resignation or otherwise during his lifetime, and it will be further provided that this Board shall at no time number more than five members.
In addition to this Board of Trustees, Mr. Reymann will appoint a Board of Lady Managers, numbering five, but this Board may, if it so elect, increase its membership. This new Home for Aged Woman is to be conducted as a strictly non-sectarian institution; that is a provision that the founder will very expressly stipulate and provided for carrying out.
Mr. Reymann has not as yet completed his selection of the two boards which are to control and manage the institution and until that is done he does not care to go into his contemplated details exhaustively. It is an open secret, however, that Rev. Dr. R. Rush Swope, rector of St. Matthew’s church, has been tendered and has accepted a position on the Board of Trustees. Mr. Reymann has frequently consulted with Dr. Swope regarding his plans for the founding of a Home, and found in him an earnest and warmly sympathetic assistant. Dr. Swope will be a valuable man on the Board. Having accepted this Trusteeship Dr. Swope, at a meeting of the managers of the Home for Friendless Women, held this week, resigned the Presidency of that institution. It may be mentioned in this connection, that the Home for Women received this week a check from Mr. Reymann for $1,000, which, with the $300 that Home had in its treasury, makes a good-sized nest egg to go towards the payment for a piece of property on which this Home can be permanently established.
The Mt. Belleview property which Mr. Reymann has purchased for a Home for Aged Women is situated on the old National road, a little over two miles from this city. The building is a well-built one, containing some 30 odd rooms, wide corridors, large parlors and dining room, and surrounded by an inviting porch. It nestles against the side of the Mount, facing the National road. From the top of the Mount the view is a superb one, one of the finest hereabouts. It is Mr. Reymann’s intention to build a reservoir on top of the Mount and pump water to it from the creek, which winds along its base on the other side from the pike. Water from this reservoir will not only supply the Home, but in all probability the houses in the Leatherwood suburb as well.
This brief description of the property will recall it to many who have visited Wheeling and had the place pointed out to them, or possibly been entertained at the erstwhile popular little summer resort. Mr. Reymann, the generous donor, needs no introduction to Wheeling people, and so widely and popularly is no known that he needs but little if any introduction to the people of the State. He is Wheeling’s most public-spirited citizen—leads them all, and this last magnificent gift puts him so far in the advance that the others can scarce see him. His popularity is as unbounded as his benevolence, which has always been wide-spread in a quiet, unostentatious manner. The Home he has started in to establish will be a grand and lasting monument to his name.
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