BADGLEY, SIDNEY R. (28 May 1850-29 Apr. 1917), was a prominent church architect in the U.S. and Canada who was active in Cleveland from 1887 until his death. Born at Ernestown, Ontario, Canada, son of William Edwin and Nancy Rose Badgley, he was educated at public schools and private academies in Canada and served as an apprentice in a Toronto architectural office. He came to Cleveland in 1887 and practiced under his own name and in partnership with Wm. Nicklas. Several churches and a former orphanage designed by Badgley were still extant in 1984, including the former Jones Home for Friendless Children (1903) at 3518 W. 25th St., the former Fourth Reformed Church (1909) at Woodbridge Ave. and W. 32nd St., the Lakewood United Methodist Church at 15700 Detroit Ave., and the former Pilgrim Congregational Church (1894) at W. 14th St. and Starkweather Ave. The Pilgrim Church is one of Badgley's finest structures and one of the first church buildings designed in the U.S. to function as both a religious and community-service center. Badgley's pioneering design was exhibited at the Paris Exposition of 1900. Badgley was a vice-president of the Equity Savings & Loan Co. He was married twice. His first marriage, to Alma A. Clark in 1872, ended with her death 2 years later. He married Charlotte J. Gilleland of St. Catherines, Ontario, on 21 Sept. 1876. They had no children. Badgley died at his home in Wickliffe and is buried in St. Catherines Cemetery.
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