the park celebrated its centennial with nearly 300 spectators. Today, Goodale Park is known as the host for ComFest, a major annual festival. Circus House Built in 1895 by the circus magnate Peter Sells (of Sells Brothers Circus), architect Frank Packard designed this Romanesque house with influence from the Sells family trip to California in 1891. The dramatic rooflines, curved Moorish style windows, and terracotta-tile roof suggest a similar profile to that of a circus big top. Packard also designed the carriage house, occupied by the servants of the Sells family. Once settled in the new residence, the Sells' furnished the house with pieces from their travels around the world, creating a lavish and exotic feel to the interior. The Sells family occupied the house until 1899 when Peter and his wife Mary divorced due to Mary’s alleged infidelity. The ensuing divorce trial was front-page news, as Columbusites became fascinated with the scandalous circumstances the divorce was filed upon. Peter Sells gained the split from his wife in December 1900 and removed her from his home. Since Peter's death in 1904, the usage of the Sells Brothers house has varied greatly, ranging from a nursery school to a shelter house for recovering alcoholics. The home is now privately owned. 41 West Third Avenue Built-in 1870, Henry Howe wrote the Historical Collections of Ohio in this home in 1889. In 1910, the home was bought and extensively renovated by Dr. Clovis Taylor, who built an addition centered on the usage of mahogany woodwork. The addition included a bar, parlor, enlarged entrance hall, and iconic wraparound porch. After its usage as a funeral home through the 1950s, the house underwent another renovation in the 1970s. Owner Larry Schwartzenberger restored the 14-foot bar and added a 1920-era soda fountain. Saint Francis of Assisi This Roman Catholic Church was built in 1896 by Bishop John Ambrose Watterson. In 1907 a school was built next to the parish and was staffed by seven Dominican nuns. During the city's urban renewal during the late 1950s, nearly 300 houses were torn down south of the church and the parish lost over two-hundred-fifty parishioners. The school was remodeled in 1961 but was closed due to a lack of enrollment in 1970. In 1973 the school burned down. The church celebrated its centennial in 1996 and is still a spiritual home to several Victorian Village residents. Attributes Victorian Village