Sligo, named for County Sligo in Ireland, was founded by Colonel J. Patton Lyon and his partner, Anthony Shorb, when they built an iron furnace nearby in the 1840s.
They were co-owners of the Lyon, Shorb and Company iron furnaces from 1846 to 1871. Their iron was shipped to the Clarion River at Callensburg and then downriver to Pittsburgh, where the Lyons owned a foundry. The partners built two large frame houses in Sligo, one for J. Patton Lyon and the other for his son, William M. Lyon. The houses are grand for their relatively isolated location, indicating the success of their original owners.
The larger of the two, number 2028 for J. Patton Lyon, is U-shaped with two gabled wings flanking a central recessed space on the east elevation. The Greek Revival north facade faces the road and is five-bays with a central entrance flanked by sidelights and topped with a transom. At a later date, the house was ornamented with brackets, sculpted chimneys, and flamboyant jigsawn ornament on the eastern elevation. The grounds were laid out by landscapers Thomas Berrean and Michael Tierney, who planted trees imported from Ireland. Unfortunately, the house is presently in a state of disrepair.
William M. Lyon's house to the east is smaller and has four bays on the north facade. It is two-and-one-half stories with an L-shaped plan and a single-story porch. The