Watertown in Jefferson County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Octagon House

Photographed by Paul F, September 3, 2010

1. Octagon House Marker

west side of two sided marker

Inscription. This 8 sided five story house of solid brick construction was built in the early 1850s by pioneer John Richards. It is the best example in Wisconsin of an unusual architectural design which was in vogue briefly before the Civil War. It was claimed to be Wisconsin's largest single family residence when its 57 rooms, closets and halls were completed. Most interesting feature is the cantilever spiral staircase.

Erected 1957 by Watertown Historical Society. (Marker Number 59.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Wisconsin Historical Society series list.

Location. 43° 11.068′ N, 88° 42.478′ W. Marker is in Watertown, Wisconsin, in Jefferson County. It is at the intersection of Charles Street and Sunset Drive, on the right when traveling north on Charles Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 919 Charles St, Watertown WI 53094, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Wisconsin and in Greater Madison.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Richards Hill Ski Slide Site (within shouting distance of this marker); First Kindergarten (within shouting distance of this marker); Plank Road (within shouting distance of this marker);

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Fred C. Merkle (within shouting distance of this marker); Plank Road Pioneer Barn (within shouting distance of this marker); Fred Merkle Field (approx. ¼ mile away); Adrian Joss / John P. "Red" Kleinow (approx. ¼ mile away); In Honor of the 1955 Watertown High School State Baseball Champions (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Watertown.

Also see . . .
1. Octagon House - Watertown Historical Society. (Submitted on September 13, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin.)
2. Octagon House - Historic Structures. (Submitted on September 13, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin.)

Photographed by Paul F, September 3, 2010

2. Octagon House Marker

east side of two sided marker

Photographed by Paul F, September 3, 2010

3. Octagon House Marker

Front of Octagon House.

Rear of Octagon House. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Paul F, September 3, 2010

4. Rear of Octagon House.

Miniature Octagon House Model image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devon Polzar, 2021

5. Miniature Octagon House Model

This scale model of the Richards' Octagon House was created in 1936 by a team of local craftsmen under the sponsorship of the Works Progress Administration. Originally it was used as a float in the 1936 Watertown Centennial parade, and then put on temporary display at Riverside Park. In 1939, it was moved to the museum grounds where it was used to illustrate how the original house looked when it had porches (the original porches on the museum had been removed for safety reasons in 1924). A popular feature of the museum grounds, the model underwent extensive reconstruction in 2012 by local craftsman Tom Gates.

Scale model replica of Octagon House in garden. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Paul F, September 3, 2010

6. Scale model replica of Octagon House in garden.

Octagon House Model after its restoration in 2012. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devon Polzar, 2021

7. Octagon House Model after its restoration in 2012.

Octagon House Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devon Polzar, 2021

8. Octagon House Museum

Credits. This page was last revised on July 12, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,759 times since then and 70 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 8, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin. 5. submitted on July 12, 2021, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. 6. submitted on September 8, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin. 7, 8. submitted on July 12, 2021, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.