February 2025.
This final Sidney post explores the Walnut Avenue Historic District, which has some of Sidney’s most iconic works of residential architecture.
Bonnyconnellan Castle
Historic photo of the Castle. (Sidney Daily News)
This is probably Sidney’s most iconic work of residential architecture. It was built by John D. Loughlin, founder of the Sidney School Furniture Company, in 1886. The house was modeled after a castle of the same name in Cork, Ireland, and the name translates to “beautiful woman.”
The house was built with 22 rooms, four bathrooms, and highly elaborate woodwork. It was lovingly cared for and restored by its various owners, until 2000, when much of the woodwork was removed by its owners. A lawsuit was filed by the bank that held the mortgage. (I couldn’t find anything about the results.) Its newest owners have committed to restoring the castle once again.
I found it interesting how the remainder of the house is made of brick, but that probably cut costs significantly.
109 North Walnut Avenue
I like this brick Queen Anne house, but its porch seems a little tired.
245 North Walnut Avenue
This poor eclectic Italianate house has suffered an unfortunate paint job. (PSA for all the homeowners who want to paint their brick house white because it’s trendy--don’t! It’s bad for the masonry.) Luckily, it seems like the owners are in the process of stripping away that unsightly and historically inaccurate gray paint.
207 North Walnut Avenue
I like this Queen Anne’s porte-cochere. I’m getting a sort of Kragsyde/Shingle-style vibe from this house.
House at the NE corner of Walnut Avenue and North Street
No idea why I got this picture from the back instead of the front. After looking at Google Maps, the front was rather boring and modernized, so maybe that was why? Also, you can see the original tower and porch spindlework from this angle.
238 West North Street
I really like the “Victorian house on a hill” typology. This one has fun grotesques on the stairway, as well as the tower/roof lantern that breaks the front gable. It’s weird how the space beneath it is a porch, it becomes rather dematerialized as a result.
231-233 West Poplar Street
While not within the bounds of the historic district, this lone Italianate block is interesting to me. Was this whole stretch full of buildings at one time? Why was this one alone spared?
Sources:
https://www.shelbycountyhistory.org/schs/archives/downtownandbuildings/index.htm
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/2022/01/06/bonnyconnellan-the-irish-castle-in-sidney/
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