Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 01/15/1974
NRHP Listing Date 07/15/1974
NRHP Reference Number 74002112
This capricious, if provincial, expression of the Queen Anne style, was briefly the Carroll County home of the notorious Sidna Allen. Allen was a member of the so-called Allen Clan that was involved in the gory Hillsville massacre of 1912. Five people, including the Carroll County Courthouse judge and court officials, were killed in a barrage of gunfire in the courtroom during the trial of Allen’s brother Floyd. Sidna Allen, although he claimed innocence, was found guilty of participating and sentenced to thirty-five years in prison, but was pardoned after serving thirteen years. The house, finished only a year before the shooting, was designed by Allen and his wife. It was built by Preston Dickens, a local carpenter, with Allen assisting. Allen dreamed of owning the finest house in Carroll County. The Sidna Allen House was his dream come true, until confiscated by the state following his conviction.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: June 22, 2021
