Outside Lisbon lies the abandoned Columbiana County Home. The historic site has been named as a Top Opportunity by Heritage Ohio: http://www.heritageohio.org/programs/top-opportunities/columbiana-county-home/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such a shame.

"Top Opportunity"? For what? Have the people who make these designations ever been here? Don't get me wrong - especially when it comes to my hometown and surrounding areas, I almost always side with preservation/restoration but seriously. The photos you posted are great, they do a great job of showing the architectural and historical significance but they don't exactly show the true context - I'm not suggesting that was done intentionally. Sure, the buildings are historic and have some interesting elements but where they're sited? It's not as though they'd be candidates for a B&B conversion - they're not exactly convenient to the greenway trail that's referenced on the Heritage Ohio site, but they're very convenient to something else:

 

 

They're a softball throw from the razor wire surrounding the county jail in an area that's completely devoid of walkable amenities - it's a little more than charitable to say they're a "Top Opportunity" for anything beyond administrative offices for the jail. That said, I would love nothing more than for someone to prove me wrong on this.

Absolutely, MayDay, the location of the county jail severly reduces the opportunity here. Perhaps you could see other county uses like office space and storage, but you probably want those people working downtown. I think Heritage Ohio relies heavily upon the information people provide in local nominations.

 

Not that it matters, but for historical interest did the Columbia County Home sort of morph into the county jail? The aerial photo seems to indicate that they are part of the same  complex, with a shared driveway, etc.

^I just assumed they built the county jail on the old county home farm (notice the barns), but that is totally a guess.

Reminds me quite a bit of Mary Haven in Lebanon: http://www.abandonedonline.net/2010/12/24/mary-haven-home-for-boys-threatened-with-demolition/

 

Except Mary Haven is in better shape.

 

They couldn't figure out anything to do with it - too decrepit to bother with, apparently.

 

Adopting old historic structures in Ohio any more is a tough sell. The 20 Mile House in Landen (Cincinnati) narrowly escaped being bulldozed for a Speedway Gas, and now it sits for sale to the biggest suckerbidder.

Maybe they could fix them up for conjugal visits?