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In Wheeling, the Grove Terrace Motel maintains a somewhat more dignified presence along the otherwise dingy environs of the National Road as it makes its crossing through the state. Vince proudly shows a visitor the rooms that have remained unchanged since the 1965 when his father built the place: wallpaper that looks like the cover of a Victorian romance novel, lime green shag carpet that’s been beaten down through the years, and abstract mosaic bathroom tile that have withstood thousands of scrubbings. Looking down the road, he speaks with near reverence for the motels that lost the struggle and the reality that when he leaves, the Grove Terrace will likely close for good: “I drive down the National Road and I see the old, nice motels I used to see when I was little and I miss them. But, you know, changing times, like horse and buggy. You accept it.”

All text copyright Andrew Wood. Photos copyright Jenny Wood and Andy Wood.