PARKERSBURG - With the scaffolding in place, work has begun on a restoration project to the outside of an historic downtown hotel in Parkersburg.
For the next three months, the Blennerhassett Hotel will undergo cleaning, brick/mortar repair and rebuilding/replacing a number of window sills, said Blennerhassett Hotel general manager Cecil Childress.
''The building is over 120 years old,'' Childress said. ''The hotel has already had a full restoration on the inside.
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Scaffolding is in place around the Blennerhassett Hotel in downtown Parkersburg as work is under way to clean the historic hotel, do brick and mortar repair and rebuild or replace a number of window sills. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
''We felt it was time to do some work on the outside.''
The hotel was built at a time when Parkersburg was experiencing prosperity from the oil and gas industry. The city was a hub of activity, hosting businessmen and visitors from all over the country. The hotel, which is registered as a national historical landmark, was designed and built by William Chancellor, a prominent Parkersburg businessman.
In April, a two-ton porte-cochere was put in place over the hotel's front door to replace the awning, which had been there.
Keystone Waterproofing Inc. of Greensburg, Pa., is doing the exterior work. It is the same company that worked on cleaning and restoring the exterior of the Wood County Courthouse a number of years ago, Childress said.
The work is expected to be done by the end of the summer.
''It is good we only have to do this about once every 100 years,'' Childress said.
