Octagon House
National Register of Historic Places

Octagon House

Watertown, Jefferson County, Wisconsin
Listed
November 23, 1971
Type
Building
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
71000039

About this property

The Octagon House in Watertown, Wisconsin, also known as the Octagon House Museum or the John Richards Octagon House, was built in 1854 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It is one of many octagon houses built in the United States in the mid-19th century. In 1950 architect Rexford Newcomb wrote, "...probably the best-planned octagon house in the country is the John Richards House at Watertown, Wisconsin..." The house has been carefully restored and is open to the public as a museum.

Location

919 Charles St.
Watertown, Jefferson County, Wisconsin
43.18474, -88.70769

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Nearby Historic Sites

First Kindergarten
Early Republic
0 mi
Richards Hill Residential Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Brandt House
Industrial
0.9 mi
Fuermann, August, Jr., and Eliza, House
Industrial
0.9 mi
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Modern
0.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Octagon House listed on the National Register?

Octagon House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 23, 1971.

What type of historic resource is Octagon House?

Octagon House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Octagon House?

The period of significance for Octagon House is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1854.

Can I research the history near Octagon House?

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