 Wheelwright while attending Harvard University was one of the founders of the "Harvard Lampoon".Wheelwright's design was inspired in part by an old church in Jamestown, Virginia, and by the Flemish Renaissance details of Auburn Street buildings in its vicinity.He was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, serving on its board of directors from 1892-1894 and 1898-1900, as well as a fellow of the Boston Society of Architects.