Morning Tour: 9-11pm
Price: $40 adult; $30 student
Aldan Hall
901 7th Ave N
Circa 1840
Built by lawyer John Shelby Topp, the house originally was a Federal structure of two rooms over two with a central stair hall. The transom and sidelights around the double front doors upstairs and down could be removed easily to facilitate air circulation. Planter James Sykes bought the house in 1854, enlarged it, and added the Greek Revival portico with two fluted octagonal columns. The tour features a Civil War diary and a Brilliant Period Cut Glass collection of distinction. The home was lovingly restored in the 1980s by the late Allen Wayne Bryan and updated in 2020 by his wife Betty.
Home of Mrs. Betty S. Bryan
Ridge House
571 Ridge Road
Circa 1835
Constructed c. 1835, only 14 years after Columbus was founded, the single story frame house was reputed to be the post office and residence of the city’s first postmaster, Gideon Lincecum. Moved in 1846 to College Street, a brick ground floor was added to create a Charming Greek Revival southern cottage. To save it from demolition, Bob and Elizabeth Proffitt bought it for $10, then moved it to its present Ridge Road location in 1973. In 2021, John F. Klosterman III purchased the house and began a loving and thoughtful renovation. Now titled Ridge House, guests are welcomed to a fully functioning vacation rental and event space.