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.
Octagon House. . 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.
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.)
Location. 43° 11.068′ N, 88° 42.478′ W. Marker is in Watertown, Wisconsin, in Jefferson County. Marker 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.
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); Fred C. Merkle
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.
Photographed By Paul F, September 3, 2010
6. Scale model replica of Octagon House in garden.
Photographed By Devon Polzar, 2021
7. Octagon House Model after its restoration in 2012.
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 Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,088 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 8, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. 5. submitted on July 12, 2021, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. 6. submitted on September 8, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. 7, 8. submitted on July 12, 2021, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.