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The Octagon House Museum in Watertown is a unique 8-sided five-story mansion dating back to 1854 with early forms of central heating, running water, and ventilating systems. Brian Kramp is in Watertown seeing why a stop at the museum is like going back in time. That said, the octagon is better off protected at Heritage Square while we become a heritage city with historic sites and buildings preserved together.
Standard Octagon House: The Second and Third Floors
Not to mention, the laundry room is just a step away whenever unexpected spillage occurs. With a conversation pit as the centerpiece of this expansive interior, homeowners have plenty of space to entertain guests. One room at the crux of the house – the Hall – provides easy access to both the upper and lower floors. Thankfully, its multitude of entryways allows for access from anywhere in the house.
Design and variations
Later in the 1940s, Carl Carmer, an author, poet, and historian, became the home’s most famous resident. Carmer, known for his autobiographical book Stars Fell on Alabama and the series of books Rivers of America, lived in the home with his wife, photographer Elizabeth Black, until 1976. Join us for this seasonal tour of The Octagon House and its surrounding landscape! Take in the spectacular blooms of the restored 19th-century gardens alongside the whimsical architecture of The Octagon House.
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When First Lady Dolley Madison fled the city as the British approached, she sent her pet parrot to the French consulate at the Octagon for safekeeping. On April 19, 1797, Tayloe paid $1,000 (~$22,685 in 2023) to Gustavus W. Scott for lot 8 in Square 170, at the corner of New York Avenue and 18th Street NW, as laid out in a plan of the city by Pierre Charles L'Enfant and surveyed by Andrew Ellicott. Scott was one of the first purchasers of lots in the newly platted capital.
Built in 1861
Over some 40 years Lombardi meticulously rehabilitated the house. He assembled a full set of long-discontinued Roman Medallion silverware, shored up the house’s dome (then collapsing in slo-mo) and embarked on a forensic analysis of paint layers to ensure that modern swatches matched post-Civil War hues. Gnarled roots in the garden were studied to establish the species and placement of vanished trees. Missing roof pieces were sourced from slate quarries and installed in their original pattern. The means by which I discovered “The Octagon House” was — brace yourself — an octagon house.
Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House
Is The Octagon America’s Weirdest House Style? - Forbes
Is The Octagon America’s Weirdest House Style?.
Posted: Fri, 28 Oct 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
(During Mr. Monroe’s administration, I have seen carriages mired in Pennsylvania Avenue, even then almost impassable, the city at that time having less than ten thousand inhabitants.)Mr. Madison appropriately did the honors of the White House, until expelled from it by the British invasion, in August 1814. At this time my father was in command of the cavalry of the District. Superseded by an officer of the regular army, he was sent to Virginia to bring up some of its militia in season to aid in the defense of the Capital.
Rebecca Plater Tayloe died in 1815 at the age of 18, but at that time the Octagon was being rented by President Madison, and the Tayloe family was staying at their Mount Airy Plantation in Richmond County, VA. At the time of her death her father had been dead for four years and she had been married to her husband, Robert Wormeley Carter II, for some time. For a complete list of the births and deaths of the Tayloe children, see the John Tayloe III page. The three-story brick house, adapted to an irregular-shaped lot, displays a dramatic break with the traditional, late Georgian and early Federal house planning that preceded it. The Octagon achieves a zenith in Federal architecture in the United States, through a plan which combines a circle, two rectangles, and a triangle, and through the elegance and restraint of the interior and exterior decoration. The Coade stone, stoves, other decorative elements, and furniture were imported from England.
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The Octagon House, as it came to be known, was completed in 1801 in the very early days of the new federal city. As a museum and exhibit space, the oldest private residence in DC now hosts programs demonstrating the cultural and societal impact of architects and architecture, and the architect’s potential to create a just and equitable society. Adding a conservatory off to one side of an octagon house allows owners to install an all-glass wall. This not only beautifies the home but allows plants to grow within your walls as well.
They range from the modest two-storey Bevis-Tucker House, to the grandiose Armour-Stiner House[5] (both are illustrated below). Nothing about the ghosts of the daughters appears before 1908, and none of the Tayloes' daughters died in the Octagon. Of the Tayloes' seven daughters, only three died before the age of 30. Of those, one died in 1800 at the age of one month (Ann Tayloe) and never lived in the Octagon.
All materials – from brick to wood to even glass – can comprise any portion of these structures. Despite the difficulty of construction, its overall expenses amount to less. The shape of these homes prioritizes efficiency, meaning you need fewer materials than for square residences.
Only a few examples are offered, and apart from plans, the book has only two illustrations. This masterpiece of late Federalist architecture features Coade stone decorative elements imported from England, as well as local construction materials. The Octagon House became the home of the American Institute of Architects in 1899, and has been in their care ever since. By far the most intricate and popular of the legends connected with the Octagon is that of the deaths of the Tayloes' daughters. Variations of the legend are so well developed and circulated, that visitors to the house are often thoroughly convinced that they are based on fact. Stacy Randall is a wife, mother, and freelance writer from NOLA that has always had a love for DIY projects, home organization, and making spaces beautiful.
The museum collection contains portraits, ceramics, pewter and needlework samplers, as well as an exhibit of historical documents relevant to the founding of the United States. And, of course, no Victorian home is complete without a resident ghost. Joseph Lombardi told the Riverfront Enterprise that a young woman who once lived there haunts the house.
A location along the Potomac was attractive as it would make the capital roughly equidistant between Maine and Georgia, at the time the northernmost and southernmost parts of the United States. Supporters of the location also pointed to the Potomac’s potential in facilitating western trade as a reason to place the Capital along the Potomac’s banks. However, prior to 1790, northerners could not be convinced to support such a southerly location. The video then turns to the left side of the first floor with Colonial Period furniture. This area includes a corner cabinet with china displayed, a Chippendale-style sofa, two side chairs made of walnut, and a cherry wood and rectangular tea table.
The trust, which acquired the property under the umbrella of its new Limited Endangered Building Fund, held onto it for only a couple of years before reselling it to current owner Joseph P. Lombardi in 1978. It was the first National Trust property to be bought from and then sold to a private owner. Join us for a special look at Victorian decorative arts at The Octagon House! Perfect for return visitors or decorative arts enthusiasts, this tour focuses on 19th century objects mean to both impress and amuse. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.
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