To Ohio and Back: Day Three--Steubenville

We had a slow start to the day. The food wasn't the best at the place we were staying and it took some time to gather everything. After packing up the car to check out and see more murals, we drove up the hillside to Franciscan University, a large Catholic University. From the top, we had a decent look of the river valley. Steubenville is located on the Ohio side, the west side of the Ohio River, across the city of Weirton. Fencing prevented us from getting too close to the cliff edges and a more dramatic view, still what we saw was nice.

We then descended back down into downtown, driving through it, before stopping at the Visitors Center to orient ourselves for the sightseeing. Steubenville is known as a city of murals as more than twenty works dot the building sides. The man inside was extremely helpful. He had been in many places, Chicago, Caribbean, before settling in Ohio. He had managed one of the local hotels before helping out with the Visiting Center which also served as the entranceway to Old Fort Steubenville.

Inside the Center, there were many old Indian artifacts. Outside was a reconstructed fort built to the specifications found in the diary of the original army commander. Fort Steubenville was established to provide protection to the surveyers of the territory at the end of the 1790s. For a place that housed a company of 100 men, the fort was small, designed so that the corner towers could fire upon the center of the square in case the walls were breached.

Notice the firing slits for rifles on the second level:


Corner Tower

Inside several building were displays showing quarters for officers and enlisted men. Also included was the hospital, which gave a nice look at the old tools of the doctor/surgeon trade. In the center of the site, a group from Franciscan University are performing an archaeological dig.


Searching for the Past

From the grounds of the Visitor center, we also got a good view of the river and a still active steel mill.


Mill along the River

Eastern Ohio, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania, all have been hard-hit areas economically. This isn't something new or related to the the general economy, but instead due to the long-term decline in coal mining and the steel industry.


Viewing Downtown

We headed into downtown on foot to get a view of the murals. There are over a dozen murals within a short walking distance. The city commissioned the works to revitalize the area and bring people back to Steubenville. In a sense, it has worked. Sandra and I are proof. Still it was Sunday and not much activity downtown, so I don't think the reality has reached anywhere near the hopes.

While some pieces were mediocre and few needed restoration, there were fine examples of public art.


Going Places

This was fading in places, but I love how this work spilled across the boundaries of its "canvas".


Gas Station

Notice the smoke from the cigarette drifting away.


Man with Cigarette

Eric Grohe had some more works in town. One is Centennial Arch. According to the man from the visiting Center, the 3-D perspective of the mural even fools animals, as people in the restaurant across the street occasionally notice birds fly into the painted scene.


Archway and Sandra

The murals tucked away in all kinds of spots throughout downtown. Here's one. that's more 2-D, next to a couple of parking spaces.


Remembering the Bank

Here's another representative work of Grohe's. This honors the dedication of the employees in the steel mill.


Steel through the Generations

The generational aspect (grandfather, father, and son) of the work shows clearly to me. Here's a closer look.


Father and Son?

Here's a couple tucked behind some buildings along the alleyways. In particular, I love the monochromatic character of the second mural.


Commotion Leaving the Firehouse

Tribute to Modern Invention

Downtown had a captivating collection of murals. We also drove out to a shopping mall on the outskirts of town and viewed two more. One was a tribute to Dean Martin, who was born in Steubenville. The other celebrated the pioneer welcoming us to the lush river valley.


Into the Ohio Territory

Yep, that last one is another work by Grohe. Incredible art.