And why wouldn’t a developer build himself a castle?
“The castle” perched at the peak of Grand Street overlooking Historic South Park and downtown Morgantown was built c. 1903 by J.W. Wiles.
Self-proclaimed as “Morgantown’s Real Estate King,” Wiles was the general manager for the Morgantown Bridge & Improvement Co. as well as the leading real estate dealer and developer of the greater Morgantown area. Wiles is responsible for the development of not only South Park, but Wiles Hill and Homeside—now much of Greenmont.
Wiles was a true promoter of Morgantown, often embellishing the area to attract people from larger areas to move to the University City. This community-mindedness led to tremendous growth of the city and earned Wiles a spot on City Council for many years. Wiles is responsible for the development of what is now King Street Park at the top of South Park as well as the formation of the Chamber of Commerce.
For photographs of more historic Morgantown homes and the stories behind them, visit @historicmorgantown on Instagram.
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