Harrison County, West Virginia    Biography of Edward John WOOD 

**************************************************************************
USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, 
as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is 
obtained from the contributor of the file.

These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation 
by other organizations.  Persons or organizations desiring to use this 
material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of 
the contributor.

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Linda Katalenich,
<KatalenL@stratcom.mil> March 2000
**************************************************************************

The History of West Virginia, Old and New 
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. 
Chicago and New York, Volume II, 
Pg. 404-405 

EDWARD JOHN WOOD is one of the able and successful architects in West Virginia
and is engaged in the practice of his profession in the City of Clarksburg, 
Harrison County.  His status as a leading representative of his profession 
and as a prominent citizen is specially pleasing to note by reason of the 
fact that he is a native of Harrison County, his birth having occurred on a 
farm on Ten Mile Creek, near the old Point Pleasant Church, now known as Maken
Church, and the date of his nativity having been August 28, 1863.  On the 
paternal side the lineage traces back to Irish origin, and on the maternal 
to English.  He is a son of James Alexander Wood and Margaret Ann (Pritchard)
Wood, the former of whom was born in Clark County, Virginia, and the latter in 
what is now Harrison County, West Virginia.  John Wood, grandfather of the 
subject of this review, was born and reared in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia,
where his marriage was solemnized and whence in 1852 he came with his family to 
the present Harrison County, West Virginia, where he passed the remainder of his 
life as a farmer and where he died at the age of fifty-three years.  Family 
tradition is to the effect that he was a descendant of one of three brothers 
who in an early day immigrated to America from their native Ireland, one of 
the number becoming a settler in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

James A. Wood was a young man at the time of the family removal to Harrison 
County.  As a youth he taught school for a time, but during the greater part
of his active career he was a carpenter and builder by vocation, a field of 
enterprise in which he was specially successful.   For an interval during the
Civil war he served as a teamster in the Union Army.  In Harrison County was 
solem- daughter of Edward Pritchard, who passed his entire life in this county
and who was a prosperous farmer, early representatives of the Pritchard family
having been iron workers in Pennsylvania and having come from that state to what 
is now West Virginia.  (Note:  this is exactly how this paragraph appears in the 
original text)

Edward John Wood gained his early education at Salem, this county, whence in 1878 
the family removed to Clarksburg, the county seat, where the father long held 
prestige as a representative contractor and builder and where he died at the 
age of eighty years, his wife having preceded him to eternal rest.  In the 
schools of Clarksburg Edward J. Wood continued his studies until he was seventeen
years of age, when he found it incumbent upon him to find employment and aid in 
the support of the family, he having been one of twelve children.  Under the
direction of his father he learned the carpenter's trade, and as a youth he 
also worked at the blacksmith trade about one year.  From 1882 for a period of 
eighteen years he was associated with his brothers Wirt W. and James L. in 
contracting and building.  About 1890 Mr. Wood began the private study of 
architecture and he carried his technical reading and work forward to the point 
that eventually gave him most ample fortification for the work of this profession.
In 1900 he returned to Clarksburg, where he opened an office and has since given 
his exclusive attention to architectural work, in which he has met with gratifying
success.  He has drafted plans and specifications for many modern buildings, 
among the more important of which may be mentioned the following:  Marion County 
jail and sheriff's residence.  St. Mary's High School at Clarksburg, the Prunty
and the Traders Annex office buildings and the W. B. Maxwell residence at 
Clarksburg, besides many buildings of high grade in other cities and towns in
this section of the state.  Mr. Wood is a member of the American Institute of
Architects having been elected to membership in June, 1922, and being assigned 
to the Pittsburgh chapter.

Mr. Wood has long been affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and
he is a member of the Clarksburg Lodge of Elks, the Clarksburg Chamber of Commerce,
the local Rotary Club, the Clarksburg Automobile Club and the Cheat Mountain and 
Allegheny Clubs.  He attends and supports the Baptist Church, of which his wife 
is a member.  He maintains his offices in the Lowndes Building and in the practice
of his profession now has an able assistant in the person of his only son, upon
whose admission to partnership the firm name of Edward J. Wood & Son was adopted.
Politically Mr. Wood is a democrat and was elected to the City Council in 1906,
serving in that capacity until 1908, when he was elected mayor of Clarksburg 
serving one term after which he retired from politics.

In 1893 Mr. Wood married Miss Jessie P. Cost, who likewise was born and reared
in Harrison County, her father, the late Jacob F. Cost, a native of Virginia, 
having been for many years a representative farmer and citizen of Harrison County.
Mr. and Mrs. Wood have two children, Carleton C. and Virginia M., both of whom 
remain members of the parental home circle.

Carleton C. Wood was born in the City of Wheeling, December 11, 1893, and his
public-school education was completed by his graduation in the Clarksburg High
School, as a member of the class of 1913.  For a year thereafter he was in his
father's office and studied architecture, besides assisting in the general work
of the office and business.  In the fall of 1914 he entered Carnegie Institute 
of Technology, Pittsburgh, where he completed a two years' course in architecture.
For one year thereafter he was engaged in the work of his profession at Pittsburgh,
and he then returned to his father's office.  When the nation became involved in 
the World war he enlisted, October 15, 1917, at Allentown, Pennsylvania, and was
assigned to the ambulance service of the United States Army.   Eight months later
he was detailed on construction work at Camp Crane, and finally he was formally 
transferred to the construction corps of the army.  In this service he continued
until February 27, 1919, when, at Allentown, Pennsylvania, he was honorably
discharged, as ranking first sergeant.  He is an appreciative member of the 
American Legion and is affiliated with its post at Clarksburg.  As previously
noted, he is now associated with his father in the practice of his profession,
and he is making an excellent record as a skilled and successful architect.