Selby, Orland, House

This house at 564 East Main Street in Madison, Ohio, dates to 1846 and reflects the Federal vernacular building tradition. It began as a one-and-a-half story house with a lengthwise facade, and the gambrel roof was added in the 1920s. It has a wood frame, clapboard siding, a sandstone foundation, an ell-shaped plan and a five-bay front. The original doorway keeps the slender proportions of Federal design even though it was built late, and it is associated with the builder Addison Kimball. Inside are plank-wall construction, random-width flooring up to 27 inches wide and poplar woodwork. Framing posts of maple and chestnut lath are noted among its wooden construction details. The original windows have been altered to one-over-one sash. Despite these changes, it is counted among a group of significant Federal vernacular houses in Madison. It sits on Lot 15 of the Paine Tract, on less than one acre, along East Main Street, which is more rural in character than West Main Street. It remains a residence.