MacDonell House

I'm such a big fan of the Victorian era as it expanded the horizons of education and literacy. 

Charles Dickens published the first parts of his novel Oliver Twist, in the same year that Queen Victoria ascended the throne. Novels gained acceptance as there were increasing literacy rates among the population. The period also revered romantic poets such as William Wordsworth.

On top of this, there was a rapid increase in the number of women writers and it brought about the famous Bronte sisters. Charlotte Bronte is famous for the novel Jane Eyre, published in 1847. Emily Bronte, published Wuthering Heights, in the year 1847. Anne Bronte wrote Agnes Grey,1847, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall 1848.

As the Christmas holiday approached, my husband surprised me with a trip to tour the MacDonell House in Lima, Ohio.

The home was built in 1893 by Frank Banta and named after the last family who gifted their home to the Allen County Historical Society in 1960.  The exterior is clad in roman brick on the first floor and red slate on the second and third floors.​ 

I thought of the writers listed above as we entered the door of the 6,500 square-foot Victorian mansion which rests near the Allen County Museum.  Stepping inside is like taking a trip back in time.

The house is a feast for the eyes with its five bedrooms, three full baths, and one-half bath. I imagine six fireplaces would have kept the house toasty warm in the cold winter months.  

The sitting room is especially lovely. As I peered into this room, I thought about the piano Mr. Lawrence gifted Beth in the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

My favorite room in the house is the dining room. Fabrics, fine china, paintings, and photographs are among the furnishings. 

There are coffered ceilings in three rooms and chandeliers made from fine crystals. The six different parquet floors are praiseworthy. 

I was in awe of the quartered-sawed oak, cherry, and mahogany wood throughout the home and learned it was hand-carved by German artisans. Each piece undoubtedly took countless hours due to the depth of detail.

Stained glass always draws my attention and I was dazzled by the two-story Art Deco twenty-pane stained glass window that I viewed from the grand staircase.

We had a splendid time! I can't recommend a visit to the MacDonell house enough! It is located at 632 W. Market St. Lima Ohio. If you need a marker, it is just east of the Lima Public Library and just west of the Allen County Museum.