Classic Edinburgh home salute to craftsmanship

The towering structure seems more at place in rural Tuscany than in central Indiana.

Perched on a hill above Edinburgh, the house combines classic Italian architecture with modern design elements. A colonnaded porch extends off the right side, its white arches intensified in the morning sunlight.

The square tower rises three stories like a church steeple. A bay window juts from the front, with a greened copper balcony on top.

Since it was built in 1867, the Thompson-Sconce house has been a beacon to all who come to the town and one of the state’s most interesting examples of Victorian building. Though passed down through the years to two other families, current owners Lyman and Corbie Snyder have restored it to the grandeur that must have marked it when it was built.

Hand-painted ceilings and woodworking done in oak and walnut dominate the structure. Deep reds and golds decorate the home, lit by classical chandeliers. In 11 of the rooms, fireplaces serve as the focal point of decoration.

“It was a phenomenal amount of work. But we’ve always had a strong interest in historic preservation,” Lyman Snyder said.

The house was constructed by J.A. Thompson, an Edinburgh industrialist who owned the town’s mill.

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