Wick family Archives - Bob on Books

Screen capture of artist’s drawing of the proposed Wick Building, *The Youngstown Daily Vindicator*, November 19, 1908.

I’m sure I walked by the Wick Building (now Wick Tower) numerous times when I was working downtown. It was the building you passed just before Strouss’. I don’t think I gave it much thought. I’m not sure I ever looked up and realized what a tall (for Youngstown) structure it was. Some posts by Charles Curry in the Western Reserve History Group on Facebook called my attention to the beginnings of this building including the Vindicator article from which the graphic above was found.

Aside from a brief mention in an article on the Erie Terminal, I’ve never written on this structure which deserves far more attention than at least I have given it. When it was built, it was the tallest structure in Youngstown at 184 feet and thirteen (not twelve) stories, to be surpassed in 1929 by Central (later Metropolitan and most recently First National) Tower on the Square. It was designed in the style of the Chicago School by one of the most distinguished architects of the time, Daniel Burnham of D. H. Burnham and Company of Chicago. He not only designed buildings all over the country including Marshall Fields in Chicago and the Pennsylvania Station in Pittsburgh, but he was a city planner who developed a plan for Chicago as well as other major cities including San Francisco, Cleveland, and Baltimore. The structure was built with Cambria Steel from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, faced with red brick, and decorated with terra cotta. One of its distinctives is the row of arches above the windows at the crown of the building. The building is registered as of 1980 in the National Registry of Historic Places.

The building was on the site of W. Federal and Phelps, replacing the old building formerly occupied by the Wick National Bank which had been consolidated with the Dollar Savings and Trust, just down the street. The building was purchased by Myron Wick for the Wick Brothers Trust Company, whose money was behind the construction of the new building, including funds from industrialist George Dennick Wick, who perished on the Titanic. The building was the same width as the old but extended 110 feet deep on Phelps. The article announcing the building said no expense would be spared on marble, mahogany woodwork, and ironwork. It would have modern, high-speed elevators and movable partitions on each floor allowing for various office configurations. It was ready for occupancy on April 1, 1910.

The Wick Brothers Trust and other Wick businesses occupied the building for many years. Later on, Wick Brothers became City Trust and Savings Bank, renting out the upper floors to other tenants. The building was sold to Burdman Brothers for $230,000 in 1969. They invested over $1 million in mechanical and interior renovations between 1988 and 1993 anticipating selling the building to Phar-Mor for a headquarters building. Sadly, as Phar-Mor fell into scandal, Burdman Brothers were not able to capitalize on their investment and in the end donated the building as well as a parking lot to the City of Youngstown.

The City of Youngstown managed the property until 2005 despite repeated offers by attorney Percy Squires to purchase the building. Repairs piled up but tenancy rose to 72 percent, helped by several city departments. The city finally sold the building in 2005 to Lou Frangos, a Cleveland developer for $125,000. He had plans to renovate the building at a cost of $13 million for student housing but was unable to secure the needed financing.

In 2012 Dominic Marchionda, representing the NYO Property Group, purchased the building for $150,000 with plans to convert it into 33 apartments and four extended stay suites along with a first floor restaurant. The renovations were completed and the building, re-christened The Wick Tower, was opened in 2015. The building is managed by LY Properties and a visit to the website can give you some sense of the facilities. Sadly, the developer, Dominic Marchionda, has faced numerous legal problems and owes money to the state on various projects including The Wick Tower.

Distinctive architecture. Youngstown’s second tallest building. A connection with one of Youngstown’s leading families. A part of Youngstown’s downtown renaissance. One hopes this 113 year old building, obviously one with good “bones,” will continue to be well-cared for and grace the downtown landscape.

To read other posts in the Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown series, just click “On Youngstown.” Enjoy!

Helen Chapel of the First Presbyterian Church, By Nyttend [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

“In Youngstown, the name ‘Wick’ is a synonym for fiscal integrity and unusual ability, for high character, and for public spiritedness.” — Joseph G. Butler.

Two Wick brothers were among the very earliest to settle in Youngstown and the Wick name not only runs through the city as Wick Avenue, but also the city’s history. Henry and William Wick were both born to Lemuel and Deborah (Lupton) Wick. In this post, I will focus on the older brother, William, who established the first congregation in the Western Reserve, First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Wick and Wood Street, just across Wick Avenue from its present location.

Reverend Wick was born on Long Island July 29, 1768. The family later moved to Washington County, Pennsylvania. He was educated at Washington and Jefferson College in nearby Canonsburg. He married Elizabeth McFarland, daughter of a Revolutionary War colonel on April 21, 1791. They started out married life on a Washington County farm. They would eventually have eight sons and three daughters. William Watson Wick, their eldest, served as a congressman from Indiana.

Wick read theology in the “Cannonsburg Academy,” a log cabin school presided over by a Dr. McMillan, who persuaded him of the need for preachers on the growing frontier. He completed his studies and was licensed to preach on August 28, 1799. He accepted calls to two churches in Mercer County, Hopewell and Neshannock in 1800. The Presbytery of Ohio released him from the Neshannock call so that he could begin ministry in the Western Reserve in 1801, the first permanent minister in the Western Reserve, receiving support both from the Presbytery and the Connecticut Missionary Society (remember that it was the Western Reserve of Connecticut), along with Joseph Badger.

One of the families that moved to nearby Coitsville Township at the same time was that of William Holmes McGuffey, whom Wick knew from Washington County. McGuffey received his early education from Wick, and one wonders how much he influenced the McGuffey Readers. Wick educated him in Latin as well as using “Webster’s Speller” and Lindley Murray’s English Grammar

Reverend Wick divided his time between the church in Youngstown and the Hopewell congregation. The ministerial life was hard and his health had been delicate even during his years on the farm. In October 1814 a severe cold weakened his lungs. He continued ministering through the winter, his health continuing to fail. He preached his last sermon on February 13, 1815 but address them in his home until he died, March 29, 1815.

At his request, he was buried in Youngstown. On his tombstone, it is noted that he preached one thousand five hundred and twenty-two sermons and married fifty-six couples. The Youngstown church grew rapidly, thanks to an awakening of religious interest in 1803.

First Presbyterian Church continues to this day, it’s tall white spire overlooking downtown Youngstown from the bluffs to the north. I wonder if Reverend Wick would have thought his little log cabin church would still be ministering to the spiritual needs of people in Youngstown over 200 years later?