The Octagon House

The Octagon House
William Thornton
The Octagon House was built between 1799 and 1801. The house was designed by William Thornton, the first architect of the United States Capitol.
Owners of The Octagon House
John Tayloe and Ann Tayloe were the original owners of the Octagon House. They created the house from the suggestion of George Washington.
John Tayloe
John Tayloe was known to be the wealthiest plantation owner of his time. He owned Mount Airy Plantation located West of Warsaw on U.S 360, Richmond County, Virginia. John was born 1771, he was educated in England, he served in the Virginian Statelegislataure, and ran unsuccessfully for congress in 1800.
Ann Tayloe

Ann Tayloe married John Tayloe in 1792 at her family’s home Belair Mansion, Ann knew a majority of presidents, she would actually host their occasional parties, she was known as the best party thrower back in her days.
The land was purchased from Benjamin Stroddert Secretary of the Navy
The House was originally constructed to be a winter residence for the Tayloe family, but they lived in the house year round from 1818-1855. The property originally included a number of outbuildings, including a smokehouse, laundry, stables, carriage house slave quarters, and an ice house. (The only surviving building.)

The Tayloe family had a total of 15 kids, only 13 survided to adulthood.
In 1814, the British burned down the White House. While the White House was getting rebuilt by the town, the Madison's lived in the Octagon House for nearly 6 months, paying the Tayloe family $500 a month for rent.
After Ann’s death, the Tayloe children began renting out the house. It was rented to girls school in 1860’s, and the Federal government in the 1870s, when it served as office space for the Hydrographic
office of the U.S Navy, and in the 1880’s, the house was occupied by 10 families, probably one living in each room, both John, and Ann Tayloe were buried at their Mount Airy Plantation.

Two of the Tayloe daughters are known to haunt the Octagon, Rebecca and Henrietta.
The Hauntings
A male slave that made the meals for the Tayloe family is known to haunt the Octagon.
A gambler that was shot in one of the bedrooms is known to haunt the house.
Slaves that the Tayloe family owned are known to haunt the Octagon House.
Sources:
https://gatorpreservationist.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/octagon-house-washington-d-c/
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc22.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reportedly_haunted_locations_in_Washington,_D.C.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4459553/octagon-house
http://www.history.com/topics/first-ladies/dolley-madison/videos/dolley-madison-saves-washingtons-portrait
http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/artwork/dolley-madison-comes-to-the-rescue/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tayloe_I
http://www.biography.com/people/dolley-madison-9394952
http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/151octagon/151octagon.htm
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dolley-madison-saves-portrait-from-british
http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=4
http://www.montpelier.org/james-and-dolley-madison
http://www.biography.com/people/dolley-madison-9394952#marriages-and-family
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/dc0938/
https://gatorpreservationist.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/octagon-house-washington-d-c/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Octagon_House
http://ghosts.wikia.com/wiki/The_Octagon_House
http://www.hauntedhouses.com/states/dc/octagon_mansion.htm
http://godc.about.com/od/museums/qt/octagonhousemuseum.htm

https://books.google.com/books?id=YRv6hYl3-HkC&pg=PT42&lpg=PT42&dq=why+did+george+washington+suggest+to+the+Tayloe%27s+to+build+the+octagon+house&source=bl&ots=d4SMgS0Onz&sig=DXbI5AIhN3TUINbhu0gQG90iAsY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bhpeVe3wDPOLsQThioEI&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=why%20did%20george%20washington%20suggest%20to%20the%20Tayloe's%20to%20build%20the%20octagon%20house&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=aMJSdnsJQaIC&pg=PA25&dq=why+did+george+washington+suggest+to+the+Tayloe%27s+to+build+the+octagon+house&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9BpeVa9n79uwBKKhgaAE&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=why%20did%20george%20washington%20suggest%20to%20the%20Tayloe's%20to%20build%20the%20octagon%20house&f=false
www.hanutedhouses.com
www.aia.org
www.nps.gov
https://fairweatherlewis:wordpress.com
www.examiner.com

The Octagon House is currently owned by the American Institute of Architects.
The museum hours are Thursday-Saturday from 1-4 pm.
It is a self guided tour, unless a special reservation is made.
(202) 626-7439
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheOctagonMuseum
Twitter at https://twitter.com/OctagonMuseum
Information:
octagonmuseum@aia.org
Sources
https://gatorpreservationist.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/octagon-house-washington-d-c/
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc22.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reportedly_haunted_locations_in_Washington,_D.C.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4459553/octagon-house
http://www.history.com/topics/first-ladies/dolley-madison/videos/dolley-madison-saves-washingtons-portrait
http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/artwork/dolley-madison-comes-to-the-rescue/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tayloe_I
http://www.biography.com/people/dolley-madison-9394952
http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/151octagon/151octagon.htm
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dolley-madison-saves-portrait-from-british
http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=4
http://www.montpelier.org/james-and-dolley-madison
http://www.biography.com/people/dolley-madison-9394952#marriages-and-family
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/dc0938/
https://gatorpreservationist.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/octagon-house-washington-d-c/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Octagon_House
http://ghosts.wikia.com/wiki/The_Octagon_House
http://www.hauntedhouses.com/states/dc/octagon_mansion.htm
http://godc.about.com/od/museums/qt/octagonhousemuseum.htm

https://books.google.com/books?id=YRv6hYl3-HkC&pg=PT42&lpg=PT42&dq=why+did+george+washington+suggest+to+the+Tayloe%27s+to+build+the+octagon+house&source=bl&ots=d4SMgS0Onz&sig=DXbI5AIhN3TUINbhu0gQG90iAsY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bhpeVe3wDPOLsQThioEI&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=why%20did%20george%20washington%20suggest%20to%20the%20Tayloe's%20to%20build%20the%20octagon%20house&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=aMJSdnsJQaIC&pg=PA25&dq=why+did+george+washington+suggest+to+the+Tayloe%27s+to+build+the+octagon+house&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9BpeVa9n79uwBKKhgaAE&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=why%20did%20george%20washington%20suggest%20to%20the%20Tayloe's%20to%20build%20the%20octagon%20house&f=false
www.hanutedhouses.com
www.aia.org
www.nps.gov
https://fairweatherlewis:wordpress.com
www.examiner.com
http://architectsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AF_Preservation.png

http://thehistorytourist.com/2015/02/27/after-the-burn/


Dolley Madison's spirit is known to still linger the Octagon house.

The Octagon House is a unique and mysterious place even today.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4459871/washington-dc