The Chesney House

Main Local National Register - Downtown Historic - Bucyrus Mausoleum - D. Picking & Co. - T&OC

Scroggs House - Chesney House - Blair House - Harris House - Beer House - McGraw House

Located two blocks east of the public square, the Dr. John Chesney House is a three story irregularly shaped Queen Anne style building. The entire structure is forty feet wide by sixty feet long, resting on a rock faced ashlar stone raised basement with a cut stone water table. The house is constructed of stretcher bond brick with imbrication of wooden shingles for decorative purposes. The house has a slate hip roof and three end chimneys with decorative terra cotta panels.

The north façade features a first floor encircling verandah, extending around to the west side of the house. The verandah displays a wood paneled base, wood shingled balustrade, wooden posts and spindle work along the top of the balustrade and porch frieze. The verandah roof is circular with a pedimented projection extending over the steps leading to double wooden doors with leaded glass panels. On the right side of the north façade is a two-story projection topped by a third floor gable with fish scale shingles and a small Palladian window. The second story level of the projection displays a long stained glass window and single sash windows. The first floor level has three large single sash windows with leaded glass transoms. The second story of the north façade has a recessed porch with wooden spindle work. The third floor features a gable with decorative wood paneling and a series of five small attic windows.

The northeast corner of the structure includes a three story circular bay. The first floor level has three single sash windows with stained glass transoms, stone lintels and sills. The second story level is a slightly flared hexagonal bay supported by brackets with five double hung single light windows. The third story level is a tower with a recessed porch with wooden spindle work. The original conical roof was damaged by wind and replaced by the present flat roof. This is the only alteration that has been made to the exterior of the house.

The east façade features an oriel window at the stairway landing. Extending from the left is a gabled projection with large single sash windows with a radiating transom of stained glass. The gable features a lunette. A small raised porch with lattice screening and hip roof extends from the south façade.

Early photographs show a small barn with board and batten construction behind the house to the rear of the lot. A twenty-five feet square garage of strecher bond construction has replaced this.

The interior of the Chesney House displays fine carved woodwork, which was done by German carvers employed by the Roehr Interior Wood Trim Company, a local firm which designed the interiors of such notable buildings as the Philadelphia Mint, the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and the Chase Manhattan Bank building in New York City. Most of the woodwork around the windows and doors is of light oak, the two parlors on the first floor are accented with cherry wood. An elegant fireplace with a small mirror is located on the east wall of the front reception room. Carved marble forms the base of the fireplace with intricate wood carving outlining the mirror. To the rear of the reception room is an impressive oak stairway. The entire stairway, stair posts and back wall are carved of light oak. The stairway contains three landings, each of which leads upward with another pair of carved posts.

The Dr. John Chesney House, built in 1892, is significant as one of the best examples of the Queen Anne style existing in Bucyrus because of it tower, varied wall treatment of shingles and brick, verandah porch, irregular massing common to this style and its outstanding interior woodwork by the local Roehr Interior Wood Trim Company, an nationally known firm. The spindle work on the several porches, use of a variety of window treatment and sizes and decorations in the gables of the roof add to the Queen Anne detailing on the house. The structure is also significant because it was built as the home and office of Dr. John Chesney, a very successful physician and surgeon. He was instrumental in organizing the National Association of Railroad Surgeons, which later became the largest surgical society in the United States. Dr. Chesney practiced medicine in Bucyrus until his death in 1912. The house remained empty from 1912 until 1914 when Dr. Wilbur G. Carlisle married Edith Chesney, daughter of Dr. John and Mrs. Chesney. The house became the home and office of Dr. Carlisle until his death in 1969. In 1971, Richard Stuckert purchased the property. The Stuckerts, local interior decorators, restored the house to its Victorian elegance and planned to use it as a decorating shop. These plans were not successful and, in 1972, William Beer purchased the property and converted it to the law offices of Garner, Berger, Kimerline, Flegm and Kennedy, retaining the restoration work done by the Stuckerts.

Stanley Flegm purchased the property in 1984 and continued its use as a law office until selling early in 2000. The current owner, Phyllis (Carle) Hyer has the house for sale and information can be obtained through Robert Erwin, Realtor for Don Wilson Realty, Bucyrus.