{"nrhp_refnum":"74002112","name":"Allen, Sidna, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"N of Fancy Gap on U.S. 52","address_restricted":false,"city":"Fancy Gap","county":"Carroll County","state":"VA","lat":36.694359789500055,"lon":-80.69363700589943,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-07-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-and-a-half-story, ell-shaped timber-frame house on high ground east of Route 52 near Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia, built in 1911 by local carpenter Preston Dickens to a design by its owners.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a remarkably rich, richly ornamented example of rural Queen Anne style, notable for appearing in a remote part of Southwest Virginia. It was designed by J. Sidna Allen and his wife and reflects Allen's long dream of owning the finest house in the county. It is also tied to local history through Allen's role in the 1912 Hillsville courthouse shootings.","narrative":"Built in 1911 on a windswept hilltop near Fancy Gap, this one-and-a-half-story, ell-shaped house is a highly ornamented rural example of Queen Anne architecture. Its timber frame is covered in white shingle and weatherboard with abundant decorative wood trim. A veranda wraps the west and part of the north side, with a gazebo, a balcony, Eastlake brackets and scalloped cornice detail. The slate roof carries hipped dormers, a hexagonal tower with a conical top and iron ridge cresting. Inside, a traditional central-hall plan holds oak floors, paneled wainscoting, louvered sliding shutters and elaborate mantels, one gilded with urns and swags. J. Sidna Allen and his wife designed the house, and carpenter Preston Dickens built it. Allen later took part in the 1912 Hillsville courthouse shootings, was sentenced to life in prison and was pardoned in 1926. The state confiscated the house soon after the shooting. Its architectural richness in a remote area and its link to local history led to its listing.","period_of_significance":"20th Century (specific date 1911)","architect_builder":"Designed by J. Sidna Allen and his wife; built by Preston Dickens, local carpenter","architectural_style":"Queen Anne","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in fair condition, relatively sound structurally but needing major and minor repairs; used as a private residence and marked occupied.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:58.070537-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/81/6799/41679981/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/74002112.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74002112/b455aacfda-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74002112/b455aacfda-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"G Keith Hall","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Signa_Allen_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">G Keith Hall</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Signa_Allen_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41679981","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidna_Allen_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7508895"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/carroll-county/allen-sidna-house-74002112/"}