Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy

The history of Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy dates back to 1848 when Bishop Richard Vincent Whelan invited eight Sisters of the Visitation to come from Baltimore to Wheeling, (West) Virginia to establish an independent, Catholic school for girls of all faiths. The original school was located in downtown Wheeling as the Wheeling Female Academy. In 1865, the school relocated to the present building, about three miles from the downtown, and assumed its current name.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1978 nomination described it as having a style that “does not fit a specific category or mode; it is, however, eclectic Victorian and very American.” Additional description states, “The uses of the building dictated the ornament of the exterior. The main facade is divided into three major components with different fenestrations defining the original uses therein: academy, main entrance with parlors and chapel, and monastery. The entire complex is in a park-like setting of thirty acres.”

For 160 years, the Sisters of the Visitation provided an outstanding educational opportunity, inspired by the school’s original motto: "Religion and Fine Arts." Just before the school closed, offerings included grades five through twelve for females and co-ed Montessori and elementary schools. In January 2008, it was announced that due to declining enrollment and escalating operational costs the school would close at the end of that school year. The property was purchased by Wheeling Hospital, and demolition came soon after.