octagon houses

These 1850's, eight-sided houses are generally credited to Orson Squire Fowler. Fowler, oddly enough, was not an architect but a phrenologist. It seems that he popularized the shape in his 1848 book, The Octagon House: A Home for All. Basically, he found that an octagon house was cheaper to build with more space and natural light. In addition it would be easier to heat and cool, retaining better air flow. At any rate, here's a quick look at this particularly peculiar house genre.

Longwood House, circa 1859 in Natchez, Mississippi

The Octogon House, also known as the John Moffat House, circa 1854 in Hudson, Wisconsin

The John Richards Octagon House Octagon House, circa 1854 in Watertown, Wisconsin.


Wilcox Octagon House, circa 1856 in Camillus, New York.


Rich-Twinn Octagon House, circa 1849 in Akron, New York.

McElroy Octagon House, also known as the Colonial Dames Octagon House, circa 1861 in San Francisco, California.

Feusier Octagon House, circa 1857 in San Francisco, California.


Armour-Stiner House, also known as the Carmer Octagon House, circa 1860, in Westchester County, New York.

I've only seen a couple in person but what a fun architectural road trip.
photos from Flickr, Flickr, wikipedia, NoeHill, and East Coast Victorians