herr2ck: Sidney Trip, pt. 2 - North and East of Courthouse Square

February 2025.

Sidney’s largest concentration of historic commercial architecture is on its courthouse square, but I found some interesting buildings outside of it, too. I’ll start with the northwest side, north of Poplar Street, and proceed clockwise from there on the north and east sides.

Ohio Building

This simple Art Deco-ish building was built in 1923 and has quite a striking name. It has been vacant for years. The city was worried that the building was structurally unstable, but an engineer’s report in 2020 deemed that it was safe. It is currently being renovated into a mixed-use space.

East facade:

112-118 North Main Avenue

This block of Italianate buildings sits north of the Taylor Building’s site. They were likely built c. 1860-1880, and the cornice and window moldings are identical to other buildings on the square. Unfortunately, the storefronts, windows, and cornice have been altered.

I actually like this north unit which has been painted black, but the large sign will probably date horribly. Note the ghost signs on the wall facing the alley.

124-126 North Main Avenue

I like the exuberant colors of these two Italianate buildings. Note how 126 is also very similar to its southern neighbors.

Willman Building

This Commercial style brick structure sits on the southeast corner of Main Avenue and North Street. It has simple brick decoration and a more elaborate cornice. What confuses me is why the windows are punched irregularly in relation to the bays, which causes moments where the molding above continues onto the buttresses (which provides visual continuity but still appears odd). Both the fenestration and bays are symmetrical, but their spacing is different.

Victorian Houses along Main Avenue

I liked this pair of Victorian houses along Main Avenue. They are both Italianate in style and rather large, so I’m curious if they were built by Sidney’s more prosperous citizens. I think the bottom one’s porch was a later addition. I also missed the Shelby County Historical Society’s Greek Revival house, which was immediately south of the first photo.

First Presbyterian Church

Sketch of the church building. (First Presbyterian website)

This elaborate brick Gothic Revival church houses the oldest denomination in Sidney. The church was founded in 1825, and its first building was finished on the current site in 1833. A second church was built in 1847 due to growth and demand, and the first was sold in 1850, later burning down. The current building’s plans were approved in 1879, and First Presbyterian worshiped in the Monumental Building until the standing church was completed in 1882. Its manse north of the church was built by 1900, and it is an art studio today.

Here is the church today:

Note the replacement windows on the south side. I like the tower and the little fleche above the crossing.

First Baptist Church

Historic postcard of First Baptist (middle). Note the different tower roof. (HipPostcard)

I couldn’t find any history about this church online. An engraved stone in the side of the building says it was built in 1884, and that date seems accurate. What I find most interesting is how this church uses so many round arches, despite it being in the Gothic Revival style.

Central School

The land that the Central School sits on has been used for many years for education. The first building was called the Buckeye School, replaced by the Union School in 1857. As Sidney’s population grew, the school got more crowded, and some of the students were moved starting in 1883. 11th grade was taught in the Piper Building, and 12th grade was moved to the Monumental Building. Three elementary schools were completed later, and the high school classes returned to the Union School until Sidney’s original high school was built in 1913. The Union School was demolished in 1930 and replaced by the Central School, which served as an elementary school until 2012. It was also Sidney’s bomb shelter.

The Central School was purchased by developers by 2024 and is being converted to apartments. Asbestos had to be removed and the roof needed to be replaced, but the exterior will be maintained. I just hope they get rid of those cheugy mid-century windows.

First Methodist Church

Historic postcard of First Methodist prior to its alterations. (HipPostcard)

This church, built between 1867 and 1874, replaced one that was built from 1839-1841. Its original design incorporated Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival elements. In 1912, the church was extensively modified to the Mission Revival style. The brick walls have been covered with stucco, now painted gray.

Sidney Masonic Center

Sidney’s Masonic Center is a simple Greek Revival building in the Ionic order. It is complemented by two exuberant Victorian houses to the east.

Jail Power House

This brick Romanesque Revival structure is a steam plant that provides power to the old Shelby County Jail next door. It was built separately to avoid an explosion or soot on the masonry of the jail.