L. S. Good House
Encyclopedia
The L. S. Good House or Good Mansion is a historic home located in Wheeling
, Ohio County
, West Virginia
. It was built in 1904 and was placed in the National Register
singularly on November 28, 1988 and as part of the East Wheeling Historic District
on November 22, 1999.
.
on the border of Switzerland
and Germany
in 1855 to German speaking Jewish parents. He immigrated to America in 1873 at the age of eighteen. He arrived in Galveston, Texas
with no possessions or funds. Shortly after arriving he changed his name to Lee Samuel Good to sound more native. He moved to Wheeling (it is claimed he walked the entire length) and opened a business selling imported and domestic dry goods
, oils, fabrics and carpets. His store was located on Main Street in the Cotton Building but moved further down Main Street after the turn of the century.
He built his new house on 14th Street in 1904 at a cost of $7,000 in the midst of his new fortune. Good employed Millard F. Giesey, a Wheeling architect to construct his lavish residence. Giesey had already established his name in Wheeling in the later years of the 19th Century with architect Edward B. Franzheim and constructed a wide variety of buildings and homes stretching across a wide portion of West Virginia.
The home was completed in 1905 and Good spent another 22 years in residence until his death in 1927. During those years he would entertain his employees with parties at his home and donated freely though anonymously as he wanted the donations to be discreet. Wheeling Park
received most of his charity and its twin man-made lakes are credited to Good's funding. When Good died nearly every store in Wheeling closed for his funeral out of respect for the prominent city leader.
The house passed to one of Good's sons, Samuel Lee Good, who continued his fathers charity work and served on the Wheeling Park Commission from 1933 to 1972. Another son, Sidney, directed his fathers business. Samuel lived in the house until 1920.
The house is currently owned by Dominick Cerrone, who operates Good Mansion Wines out of the historic home.
. It features a full-width porch with pairs and clusters of fluted wooden columns on sandstone
plinths. The third story facade has an engaged Ionic order
brick colonnade. It has a sumptuous interior.
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Ohio County
Ohio County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,427 people, 19,733 households, and 12,155 families residing in the county. The population density was 447 people per square mile . There were 22,166 housing units at an average density of 209 per square mile...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. It was built in 1904 and was placed in the National Register
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
singularly on November 28, 1988 and as part of the East Wheeling Historic District
East Wheeling Historic District
East Wheeling Historic District is a national historic district located at Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia. The district encompasses 300 contributing buildings and one contributing site, including the Monroe Street East Historic District. The district is primarily residential, developed in the...
on November 22, 1999.
.
History
Lippmann Gut was born in GailingenGailingen
Gailingen is a town in the district of Konstanz in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.It is situated in the southern part of the landscape called Hegau in a unique location on the northern bank of the Rhine River just across from Switzerland and close to the Lake of Constance. It is therefore...
on the border of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1855 to German speaking Jewish parents. He immigrated to America in 1873 at the age of eighteen. He arrived in Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
with no possessions or funds. Shortly after arriving he changed his name to Lee Samuel Good to sound more native. He moved to Wheeling (it is claimed he walked the entire length) and opened a business selling imported and domestic dry goods
Dry goods
Dry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores, though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England or...
, oils, fabrics and carpets. His store was located on Main Street in the Cotton Building but moved further down Main Street after the turn of the century.
He built his new house on 14th Street in 1904 at a cost of $7,000 in the midst of his new fortune. Good employed Millard F. Giesey, a Wheeling architect to construct his lavish residence. Giesey had already established his name in Wheeling in the later years of the 19th Century with architect Edward B. Franzheim and constructed a wide variety of buildings and homes stretching across a wide portion of West Virginia.
The home was completed in 1905 and Good spent another 22 years in residence until his death in 1927. During those years he would entertain his employees with parties at his home and donated freely though anonymously as he wanted the donations to be discreet. Wheeling Park
Wheeling Park
Wheeling Park is a park located in Wheeling, West Virginia. The park first opened in 1925. The park was originally only open during the warmer months...
received most of his charity and its twin man-made lakes are credited to Good's funding. When Good died nearly every store in Wheeling closed for his funeral out of respect for the prominent city leader.
The house passed to one of Good's sons, Samuel Lee Good, who continued his fathers charity work and served on the Wheeling Park Commission from 1933 to 1972. Another son, Sidney, directed his fathers business. Samuel lived in the house until 1920.
The house is currently owned by Dominick Cerrone, who operates Good Mansion Wines out of the historic home.
Appearance
The Good Mansion is a three-story Classical Revival style brick townhouseTownhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
. It features a full-width porch with pairs and clusters of fluted wooden columns on sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
plinths. The third story facade has an engaged Ionic order
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
brick colonnade. It has a sumptuous interior.