herr2ck: Sidney Trip, pt. 1 - Courthouse Square

February 2025.

After I documented Sidney’s biggest architectural landmarks (the Monumental Building, Louis Sullivan’s bank, and the courthouse), I explored the remainder of downtown. I’ll start at the southwest corner, as I did when walking the square.

The Spot Restaurant

Ed “Spot” Miller, the restaurant’s founder, standing in front of its first iteration. (The Spot website)

The Spot is a lovely 1950s-style restaurant with tons of history. (I debated eating there while in Sidney but decided to skip lunch, which I regret now.) Ed Miller brought his chuck wagon into Sidney in 1907 and started selling food on the site of the current building today. The city didn’t let him operate without a permanent structure, so he removed the wagon’s wheels and added awnings to make a little building. Miller retired in 1913, and the restaurant was purchased by Joe Cook and Homer Spence for $5,000. It was renamed to “Cook’s Spot” (note the signs on the side of the current building that say this). The original chuck wagon was replaced by a larger building in 1934 (though the below photo is dated 1932).

The Spot’s second building, 1932. (The Spot website)

The Spot burnt down in a fire on New Year’s Eve 1940. It was rebuilt in the Art Moderne style in 1941, which is The Spot as it stands today. Their website estimates that the building was remodeled 25 times after its construction, the latest being in 1976. However, much of the mid-century charm lasts to this day.

The Spot’s new building in 1941. (The Spot website)

Apparently, George W. Bush visited The Spot during his campaign through western Ohio, where he ordered a hamburger and piece of pie.

Looks like the letters are falling off a bit. I think this is a great example of the more whimsical side of Art Moderne architecture.

109-113 South Ohio Avenue

I like this trio of Italianate buildings. The one on the left has recently had a coat of white paint stripped from its facade. The middle building has the most period-correct and appealing coloring. The rightmost has been modernized, but tastefully so.

Wagner Hotel [demolished]

Historic photo of the Wagner Hotel. (Ohio Pics Then and Now on Facebook)

Hotels have occupied this site for decades. The building was purchased by Mathias Wagner in the 1860s and expanded into its best-known iteration in 1863. It was a well-known gathering place for many years, but it eventually fell victim to deferred maintenance, and Sidney’s citizens wanted a more modern hotel. The Hotel Wagner was demolished in 1973, and the site was occupied by a bank building built shortly afterwards, which stands today.

Carey’s Hall

An early photo of Carey’s Hall with its original cornice intact. (Shelby County Historical Society)

John W. Carey, a Sidney businessman, built Carey’s Hall on the northwest corner of the square in 1854. Carey was a very significant figure in Sidney’s history--he founded the first bank, built the old Shelby County Jail and Sidney’s first railroad, established the town of Anna (which was named after his daughter), and his father Cephas was one of Shelby County’s first settlers.

Carey’s Hall was the first prize in the lottery to finance the construction of the Monumental Building. Though the lottery was unsuccessful, the building was still awarded to the winners, and it was known as the Thompson Building for a time as a result.

An interesting feature of Carey’s Hall is a marble plaque on the west side of the building that reads “POST NO BILLS HERE.” Apparently, Carey wanted to avoid advertisements being pasted to the side of his building.

Here is the Poplar Street facade of the building:

Though the building’s storefronts have been altered, I believe the windows are original or at least antique. The Shelby County Historical Society says the cornice was removed at some point, but it seems to have been replaced around 20 years ago.

Carey’s marble admonition still stands 170 years later, worn as it is:

108 East Poplar Street

This building is in the Beaux-Arts style, so it was probably built c. 1900-1920. The windows are rather anachronistic and would fit better on a Victorian-era building, but the rest of the carved details are appropriate. It’s interesting how all the masonry beneath the cornice is carved into quoins.

First National Exchange Bank/German-American Bank

Historic photo of the bank’s exterior. (Shelby County Historical Society)

The First National Exchange Bank was established in 1899 as part of the People’s Federal Savings and Loan Association. This building was constructed as the German American Bank, which collapsed in 1904 in a well-known bank failure. The First National Exchange Bank purchased this building in 1905, but it was destroyed by a fire in 1914. The bank was exactly rebuilt to its original design a year later.

First National Exchange Bank moved to the south side of Courthouse Square in 1975, and their old building became a nightclub known as “The Bank.” The historical society’s website says that a brick addition was built on the east side around this time. The bank is occupied by small businesses today.

Decorative gingerbread around the entrance portal (I had a hard time shooting around the tree):

Detail of the pediment:

Like many buildings of this scale, the marble is simply a veneer, and it has been cut into smaller slabs for ease of carving/assembly.

Thedieck’s

Illustration of Thedieck’s prior to its alterations. (Shelby County Historical Society)

Thedieck’s was a department store founded by I. H. Thedieck in 1875, joined by his brother Joseph three years later. He built his first store on the lot that the current one stands on in 1882. Thedieck became very rich and successful by 1900, helping bring various different businesses to Sidney based on his business experience and influence. The original Thedieck’s building (which I couldn’t find a picture of) was destroyed in a fire in 1914.

Thedieck’s new five-story, fireproof building opened on September 22, 1915. He sadly died in 1926. At some point, Thedieck’s old building was known for its use by Uhlman’s Department Store. Today, it is occupied by Furniture Express.

Note how heavily the building has been altered. The windows have been obscured by siding--I speculate this is because the remainder of the floors are used as storage. The base is also unrecognizable. Luckily, the ornamentation remains intact.

Detail of the cornice with Thedieck’s name carved:

Detail of the decorative corbels on each side:

126 East Poplar Street

Given that this building was in the midst of the block that was destroyed by fire in 1914, it’s reasonable to assume that the existing structure was built that year or later. It is a simple Commercial style design. I like the polychrome stained glass, as well as the large glass block bulkhead over the first floor (which is likely original). The building currently houses a coffee shop.

Kah Building

Again, history is pretty sparse for this one, but given its Beaux-Arts construction and what the historical society’s website says, this was the final victim of the 1914 fire. This exuberant two-bay building replaced the one that burned down in the fire. Its current tenant is Spectrum Studio, which moved inside after 2019 but unfortunately obscured the original sign.

The historic sign, now obscured. (Google Maps)

I really like the ornament on this building, as it is unusually detailed for its scale. The facade is encrusted with classical decoration like engaged columns, cornices, arches, festoons, and a balustrade on top. Here’s a closer look at the vaulting:

130 East Poplar Street

(Google Maps)

I thought I got a picture of this one (I certainly meant to), but apparently not. This building is older than its neighbors, its style lending itself to Victorian-era construction. However, it seems to be mostly boarded up for some reason. I did get this detail of the cornice, indicating it was built in 1893:

Chase Bank

This Art Deco/Stripped Classical bank is very similar to one I saw in Newark, and it was probably built c. 1930-1950. (Springfield has one too.) I like the smooth marble and how it contrasts with the carved ornament.

The side of the bank and surrounding buildings:

Taylor Building/Knights of Columbus Building [demolished]

The Taylor Building. (Shelby County Historical Society)

This elaborate Second Empire building was located on the northeast corner of Courthouse Square, at the intersection of Main and Poplar Streets. O. J. Taylor started his hardware store in 1854 and commissioned architects Koehler & Lance in 1873. The Taylor Building opened in 1874. Its basement and first floor were designed for commercial use, the second floor was office space, and the third was a large opera house with a capacity of 1,000 people. The historical society describes the architecture as such:

“The [Taylor Building], a symmetrical block structure, has a high mansard roof with a metal curb. The central roof dormer of the facade features an arched window, all others are circular and classically detailed. Classic detail dominates, with a dentiled cornice, quoins at the corners, elaborate window heads and a belt course. The facade is finished with Amherst stone columns and galvanized iron — sanded to give the appearance of stone.”

The building was very popular with fraternal organizations. It was known as the Knights of Columbus Building because they met regularly on the third floor for many years. The Commercial Club and Freemasons were also notable tenants of the Taylor Building.

The Taylor Building shortly before its demolition. (Travel Photo Base)

By 2011, the Taylor Building had fallen into disrepair. It was found that the building was structurally unsafe, so it was demolished that year along with an adjacent building. The site is currently an empty lot.

Piper Building

Historic photo of the Piper Building. (Shelby County Historical Society)

The two Piper Buildings (of which one survives) were built by William and Samuel Piper, the sons of a German immigrant. The standing 1886 building was constructed by William for his grocery store business that he inherited from his father. A rear addition that extended the structure was completed in 1897. The other building, demolished between 1998 and 2007, was Samuel’s. It replaced an earlier building that held the family grocery store and bakery.

The Piper Building is unoccupied today. Its first floor has been altered and the cornice painted, but the remainder is original. It also recently received new windows. It was purchased by a developer in 2023 with plans to convert the first floor to a restaurant, but these plans may have fallen through.

Detail of the elaborate Italianate cornice:

Burkhart Block

This building is apparently Ohio’s “oldest continually operating footwear location,” as shoes have been sold on the site since 1864. The current structure was built in 1880 by John Burkhart, who owned a shoe store with his brother and father. He owned the company by 1904, having purchased his brother’s interest. Ron & Nita’s, the current tenant, have occupied the building since 1986.

I really like how detailed the cornice is on this one. It is among one of the most elaborate Italianate buildings on the square.

Old Shelby County Jail

A historic photo of the old jail. (Shelby County website)

This building is Sidney’s fourth jail, and a newer fifth building is in operation today. The first was a small log cabin built in 1822 adjacent to the first courthouse, which faced the square instead of occupying it. It was quickly found to be too small, and the second jail was also built of wood in 1826. It burnt down in 1839 and was replaced by the third, meant to be fireproof with masonry construction.

The third jail was razed for the construction of the existing Italianate building in 1875. The front was the sheriff’s residence, while the rear held the jail cells. Interestingly, it served as Sidney’s first hospital in 1913 after a flood. This building served as the county jail until 1994.

Shelby County Annex + Cook House [demolished]

The Shelby County Annex c. 1910s.

This site at the southwest corner of Court Street and Main Avenue was formerly occupied by the Greek Revival Cook House, which was owned by the founder of The Spot for a time. The house was moved in 1895 for the construction of the present building, and it was demolished in 2011.

The first floor held commercial space for a time, but it is entirely occupied by county offices today. Here is the north facade today:

Although not quite period-correct, I do like the black paint on the ornament. Also note how the lintels above the windows are similar to those of the Piper Building.

The east facade: