Later Alligator Receives $50,000 Historic Preservation Grant for Restaurants

The Later Alligator restaurant in Center Wheeling is getting $50,000 to preserve the outside historical features of its building.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express have announced $50,000 awards for 50 small or independently owned restaurants across the country through the Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program.

Among those on the list is Later Alligator, located at 2145 Market St., Wheeling.

Each restaurant selected for the grant is a place that has been determined to contribute to their neighborhood’s unique history and identity, according to information from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Later Alligator building was constructed in 1860 and began life as a grocery store, according to co-owner Mitch Haddad. Haddad co-owns La