Architect

August 1, 1870-June 20, 1927

Born in St. Clairsville in 1870 to the noted artist J.A. Faris, he attended public schools in Wheeling and had no formal training for his profession. After working in the office of Edward Wells, another Wheeling architect and builder, Faris formed a partnership with Joseph Leiner. Six years after joining with Millard Giesey in 1902, historian Gibson Cranmer said that Faris had been “personally interested in and designed…most of the prominent buildings and residences in the city”. The 1915 issue of Ohio Architect magazine was devoted to his work.

Using many different architectural styles, Faris provided Wheeling with a plethora of beautiful buildings. Among the prominent Wheeling edifices designed by this architect and still standing are the Schmulbach Building; the YWCA; Madison School; the Main Street Bank, formerly Wagner Wholesale Grocery; the Laconia Building, formerly the German Bank; Triadelphia Middle School; the Scottish Rite Cathedral; the Howard Mansion and Apartments; and the YMCA.

Buildings of his design that are no longer standing include: Wheeling High School, North Wheeling Hospital, the Market Auditorium (West Virginia’s longest building at the time), and the Gothic-styled Children’s Home in Woodsdale.

Probably the most unusual of Faris’ work is the Mount Carmel Monastery, a Mission-style edifice built in 1917 and located on Carmel Road in the Woodsdale section of Wheeling. To honor the memory of St. Teresa (of Spain), Faris designed the monastery with a distinctive Spanish flavor. (- text from: Legendary locals of Wheeling, West Virginia, Duffy, Seán Patrick, and Brent Carney. Arcadia Publishing, 2013. Biography by Kate Quinn) 

▶ Read Frederick Faris's biography from the 2015 Wheeling Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.   

Frederick F. Faris Buildings

Additional Resources

▶ Vertical File: Wheeling Architecture, Wheeling Room, non-circulating, ask for access at Reference Desk.
▶ Archives: "The Ohio Architect, Engineer & Builder,” Vol. XXVI, No. 5, November 1915. From the Beverly Fluty Papers Collection of the Ohio County Public Library Archives, viewing by appointment only, call 304-232-0244.
- Facsimilie copy of "The Ohio Architect, Engineer & Builder,” Vol. XXVI, No. 5, November 1915 can be viewed in the Wheeling Room - ask for access at Reference Desk. Call #: Wheeling 720.975415 Oh3
▶ Wheeling Hall of Fame induction ceremony (May 30, 2015), Wheeling Room, non-circulating, ask for access at Reference Desk. Call #: Wheeling 975.415 Whee 2015