National Register Listing

Octagon, The

a.k.a. Colonel John Tayloe House

1799 New York Ave., NW, Washington, DC

The Octagon, 1799 New York Avenue, Washington, D.C., is the national headquarters of the American Institute of Architects. Constructed from 1799 to 1800 as a town residence for Colonel John Tayloe of Mount Airy, Richmond County, Virginia, The Octagon was designed by Dr. William Thornton, architect of the United States Capitol. This three-story brick house, adapted to an irregular building lot, displays a dramatic break from the traditional, late Georgian, and early Federal house planning that preceded it. The degree of this break is matched only by the domestic buildings of Thomas Jefferson. The Octagon achieves a zenith in Federal architecture in the United States through its brilliant plan which combines a circle, two rectangles, and a triangle, and through the elegance and restraint of the interior and exterior decoration. Many of the leading European architects of the late 18th century sought to achieve a new direction in architecture through a design philosophy that found its expression in seeking to combine simple, basic geometrical shapes, and using a minimum of unnecessary decoration. Dr. Thornton traveled extensively in both England and in France and was no doubt alive to this philosophy. Being presented with a building site that did not lend itself readily to a stereotyped solution, Thornton took full advantage of his opportunity and brought to the new Federal city a building of startling freshness and originality which has never been surpassed. The Octagon was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 under the Theme, Political and Military Affairs.

In 1797, Colonel John Tayloe decided to build a townhouse in the new Federal City, upon the recommendation of George Washington who had discouraged Tayloe from undertaking such a project in Philadelphia. The ground was purchased at the corner of New York Avenue and 18th Street, N.W., within sight of the President's House. Gustavus W. Scott was paid one thousand dollars on April 19, 1797, for Lot 8, Square 170 which Scott had purchased from the Government in 1796. Colonel Tayloe selected Dr. William Thornton (1759-1828) as the architect. Work was begun early in 1799 and completed late in 1800. in designing this building, Thornton was confronted with adapting the house to the acute angle formed by the Intersection of New York Avenue and 18th Street. The solution, called The Octagon by the Tayloe family is actually an irregular hexagon with a projecting semicircular bay. The house, as built, is a refinement of at least two preliminary schemes now in the Library of Congress. The plan of the house, composed essentially of a circle, two rectangles, and a triangle, is a masterpiece of simplicity and the most outstanding feature of the design. The Taylors occupied the house, with a few notable interruptions, from 1801 until the death of Mrs. Tayloe in 1855. Colonel John Tayloe (1771-1828) was the only son of a family of eleven children. He married Anne Ogle, daughter of Governor Benjamin Ogle of Maryland in 1792 and they had a family of fifteen children. Colonel Tayloe was educated at Eton and Cambridge; by politics, he was a Federalist and a strong supporter of President Washington. He served briefly in the army under General Henry Lee and in 1799 declined an appointment by President Adams as Major of the Light Dragoons. He preferred serving in the Virginia Senate, and at one point ran unsuccessfully for Congress. Most of his energies went into managing his extensive agricultural and financial holdings. He was also active in the establishment of St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square.

in August 1814 the British burned the White House and the Capitol. Colonel and Mrs. Tayloe had left Washington and returned to Virginia, leaving The Octagon occupied by the French Minister, Monsieur Serrurier, no doubt with a view to its protection. The house was not damaged and the Taylors were asked soon after to offer it to President and Mrs. Madison as temporary quarters. The Madisons moved in September 8, 1814, and remained for the better part of a year. On February 17, 1815, President Madison signed the Treaty of Ghent in the circular study on the second floor of the house. When the Madisons moved to the house on the corner of 19th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., the Tayloe family reoccupied The Octagon and remained until 1855. After Mrs. Tayloe's death, the house was leased for a variety of purposes including a girls' school, government offices, a studio, and finally as a tenement.

On February 11, 1898, the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Architects voted to lease The Octagon for five years at a rent of $360 per annum as a preliminary step in moving their national headquarters from New York to Washington. The A.I.A. occupied the building on January 1, 1899, and in 1902 purchased the property for $30,000. Since that time the Institute has acquired further property adjacent to the main house and is currently constructing a new headquarters behind the original house. This new building will occupy the present site of the original stable. From the time the A.I.A. first moved into the house, conscientious efforts have been made to preserve it. Major restoration projects were carried out in 1949-1950 and 1967-1970. The second-floor plan has been somewhat altered to create a larger exhibition space.

Local significance of the building:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1966.