The land which is now Downtown Sidney, Ohio was originally donated by Charles Starrett in 1820. He stipulated that one acre be reserved for a public square, two half-acres lots for religious societies, two acres for cemeteries and one acre for a school.

The original town was laid out in 113 lots, with the boundaries from N. Lane to S. Lane (now Water St.) and from the Miami River to W. Lane (now West Ave.). Lot 113, behind the Presbyterian Church (the football stadium) was to be a graveyard, and half of lot 105 was for building a school. Central School sits on this site still today. An Englishman named John Blake built the first “official” building in Sidney in 1820 on the lot where Furniture Express is today.

The name Sidney, sometimes spelled “Sydney” in early documents, came from Sir Philip Sidney, an English patriot, writer and member of Parliament.Downtown Sidney is rich with historic buildings, some of which are still standing and functional after more than 100 years.

Below are just a few samples of the architectural sights that can be seen on a stroll through downtown Sidney. We hope you enjoy them. However, to really appreciate them you must see them in person. Why not make the trip to our downtown and see the sights first hand. Also, don't forget to bring your camera!