[1] Located a short distance northwest of the city's downtown, the Walnut Avenue District has been Sidney's premier residential neighborhood since its creation in the late nineteenth century.

[2] Twelve of the fifteen are located along Walnut Avenue, and the other three line North Street; they were built in such styles as Queen Anne, Greek Revival, and Italianate.

Common construction materials include stone foundations, brick walls, and slate roofs.

During the late nineteenth century, Sidney was passing through a period of transformation: since its establishment in 1820, its identity was that of a small county seat in an agricultural region, but by the end of the century, institutions such as the People's Federal Savings and Loan Association were causing it to gain prominence in commerce, industry, and banking.

[2] Among its most important residents were jeweller Edward Kah,[4]: 520  merchant Elias Griffis,[4]: 665  garden company owner Bernard Wagner,[4]: 756  and educator Herbert McVay.