Well..from what I hear out of my contacts in Zanesville the Sidwell House is now gone. Apparently they have cleared off that entire corner for some kind of development. I don't really have a confirmation but I've had 3 different people tell me that. If anyone can confirm it please do so.

Sorry to hear it. I cant confirm as I havent been down that way recently but I did hear this some two weeks ago from a person looking at my flicker pics. So with your people telling you the same thing its likely true. Very sad I really liked that place.

That is sad news...that house looked awesome!

It is a shame that people that ghost hunt seem to care more about the historic places than anyone else does.

You're right...yet we're the ones who are always blamed for destroying and vandalizing places. It doesn't make sense!

I get two to three calls a week from local historical societies for information on buildings in their own towns.

Wow, that's impressive that the historical societies call you for info!!

The Sidewell House is defiantly gone. I was in Avondale last weekend.

Welcome, A.O.! And thanks for the official update on the Sidwell House.

According to Forgotten Ohio the Sidwell house was moved not demolished. I'm sorry for the misleading information. I'm headed out to avondale to try and find out where they moved it to. It couldn't of went far. I'll be sure to let everyone know if I locate it.

Well I couldn't find the Sidwell House, I looked everywhere for it. I did alot of thinking and this is what I came up with. I don't see how it would of been possible to move that big house from that location. Here are the reasons I think this: The driveway is too narrow and it has a guardrail at the end of it, the house would of never fit through it. There's powerlines everywhere and they are lower than the top of the house, it would of hit everyone of them. I think someone gave forgotten ohio some wrong information. I'm pretty certain the place was demolished. This is not factual information it's simply my theory.

If it was moved, I'm a little surprised nothing was mentioned in the local paper.

I agree. I couldn't find any articles on it. When the Crites Octagon House was moved it made the papers.

Last I heard it had been stripped and all signs pointed to demolishing.

It was not moved, it was demolished. I know the Sidwell family personally and I was there when it was taken down. Now that being said, I also have not found anything relevant to the stories surrounding the house. Apparently it was a aminityville type massacre that never happend. Now i would love to be proven wrong about this if anyone has info. Also there were no tunnels underneth the house disproving that it was a stop on the underground railroad. Now Zanesville has a history of the URR, but it is in the old putnam/brighton district.

I have no evidence one way or the other about whether it was a stop on the underground railroad or not but not having tunnels under it proves nothing about that one way or the other. Not all stops on the underground railroad were literaly underground, slaves were hidden in attics and sheds and all sorts of other places besides tunnels and basements.


I think forgotten Ohio has the best information about this location

http://www.forgottenoh.com/Sidwell/sidwell.html

towards the bottom Andy talks about correspondance with people who actually lived in the house and had some experiences there as well as the history of the place.

I have no evidence one way or the other about whether it was a stop on the underground railroad or not but not having tunnels under it proves nothing about that one way or the other. Not all stops on the underground railroad were literaly underground, slaves were hidden in attics and sheds and all sorts of other

i agree with that. i was refrencing what ppl have said and what i was told by the landowner who domilshed the house and there were no "underground tunnels". that being said zanesville itself has a history of the underground rr. hell any house that old along the way north could have been a stop...no argument my way, i like weaving through the sometimes tales to find the history.

I had to be close to one of the last people in the house, my son lived in the house between the mansion and Whitey's restaurant and had to move out because of his house and Whitey's being demolished as well. They are putting in a highway through there is why they cleaned out the neighborhood . I had enough foresight to keep a small artifact from the place, a rather large mother of pearl button that I found in the basement next to an old rotted trunk.The old barn was as impressive it was fallen when I saw it but it looked as though it was 3 stories with cast iron fencing making up the stables which as best we could figure was at least 20 stalls. Some of the hewed beams were as much as 20 inches across and close to 30 ft in length. On the path to the lower part of the barn was the outhouse which had pottery hole covers,but the privy was already dug and a great amount of broken glass was left all around.........truly a sad loss.

PS I also found no tunnels and have not seen where it had been listed as a station house. The only thing we found to be mistaken as a tunnel was a coal chute on the North(?) wall of the cellar.......we had a moment of light panic when we actually got turned around for a moment and lost our way out ,in a very simple floor design. ????

The Sidwell House's definitely a loss to al of us interested in oldabadonments and Ohios history an architecture. I personally never experienced or found any evidence of paraormal activity tere myself but it was a grand old wreck an right up untill it was gone I always hoped someone wouldfix it up and restore it.