Our Lady of Seven Dolors Mission, Triadelphia

A Catholic presence in the Wheeling area is associated with the arrival of Irish laborers who were employed on the National Road and Hemfield Railroad projects. Construction on a church began in 1824, but remained unfinished until 1869 when a small wooden church was built. The Church of the Seven Dolors, soon referred to as St. Mary's by parishioners, was attended by priests at St. Joseph Cathedral and was established to serve the families in the greater Triadelphia region. The church became a mission of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Elm Grove, in 1896 and the name of the church was eventually changed to Our Lady of the Seven Dolors. The present brick church was built in 1924.