Canada

ALBERTA

Alberta.

• Alberta. Octagon house. Nothing else known.
  Source: from a real estate ad.
  Entered June, 2001.

NEW BRUNSWICK

City of Pocologan.

• Pocologan. Octagon house and shop. House is 32 feet in diameter, shop is 24 feet in diameter.
  Source: David Baird.
  Entered: June, 2001.

City of Sackville.

• Sackville. Octagon house. Built in 1855, by Captain George Anderson, shipbuilder and marner. Later sold to Captain Titus Anerson, his father. Single story. No cupola. Now houses the Sackville Information Center and Craft Gallery.
  
  Photograph.
  
  Source: Robert Kline
  Entered: November, 2003.

NOVA SCOTIA

City of Halifax.

• Halifax. Octagon house. Built 1871. Three story, wood. The home was designed by Henry Elliot, and built by Dartmouth contractor John Keating. Now gone, it once stood at the corner of Dahlia Avenue and Crichton Street. Its original terraces overlooked Sullivan's Pond, facing Halifax Harbor. Original owner was Gavin Holiday, native of New England, and production manager of Starr Manufacturing. The estate of the last owner, Charles Herman, was sold to a developer, who razed the home in 1969 and erected an apartment building on the site, Octagon Towers.
  Source: Brief article and photo..
  Entered: June, 2001.
• Tatamagouche. Octagon house. Built 1857. One and a half story.
  Source: Ron Langille, the current owner.
  Entered: October, 2004.

ONTARIO

City of Bowmanville.

• Bowmanville. Octagon house. Appears to have been built around 1860. Located at ht corner of Wellington and Division Streets. Sqaure cupola. Possibly a stucco exterior. Porch on two side.
  
  Photograph.
  
  Source: James Godsmark
  Entered: September, 2006.

City of Bracebridge.

• Bracebridge. Octagon house. Woodchester Villa, built 1882 by Hentry J. Bird. The house was completely restored in 1979 in the sytle of the year 1914, by the Bracebridge Rotary Club, and is now a museum.
  
  Photograph
  
  Sources: Article, photos, restoration information, Dale Travis.
  Entered: June, 2001.
  Updated: June, 2007.

City of Bracebridge.

• Brampton. Octagon house. Located at 8280 Heritage Road. The foundation suggests it was built pre-1900, but this is a guess.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Source: Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: February, 2010.

City of St. Catharine.

• St. Catharine, The 1913 fire insurance map below shows the house located on teh right side of Chestnus Street - today, Carlisle Street. See the upper left quadrant.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Source: Dennis Gannon.
  Entered: January, 2010.

City of Georgina.

• Pefferlaw, a community within Georgina. Octagon house. Appears to have been built in 1888. Current status unknown - appears to be abandoned, but this is not certain.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  
  Source: Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: August, 2009.

City of Granton.

• Granton. Octagon house. Built in 1872 by Albert Beatson, a local pioneer. Single story. Grout walls on the main structure. The first floor contains three bedrooms and a living room. The basement contains the kitchen, and more bedrooms. Only one room is square.
  
  Photograph
  
  Entered: January, 2009.

City of Ingersol.

• Ingersol. Octagon house. Single story. Large cupola. Appears to be stucco on the exterior. Nothing else known.
  
  Photograph
  
  Entered: January, 2009.

City of Lowville.

• Lowville. Octagon house. The Thomas Pickett Octagonal House. Built in the 1850s for Thomas Pickett, using Fowler's method of rubble construction. Located at 6103 Guelph Line. It's said that one large pine tree supplied the wood for all the doors and floors. Single story. Cupola.
  
  Photograph
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  Entered: January, 2009.
  Updated: April, 2009.

City of Manitoulin Island.

• Little Current. Octagon house. Fowler period. Unique turreted cupola. Located at Blake Street and Walcott Avenue.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Source: Ellen Puerzer. Michael, who supplied the photograph.
  Entered: February, 2010.

City of Maple.

• Maple. Octagon house. Attributed to Henry J. Bird. Date built unknown. Locally called the Round House. Plans show many alterations over the years. Now a duplex. Constructions costs were around $3,000, and lumber from the property on which the house rests was used.
  
  Photograph
  
  Entered: January, 2009.

City of Mount Pleasant.

• Mount Pleasant. Octagon school house. Two story. Cupola, or bell tower. Eight large gables.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  Entered: January, 2009.
• Mount Pleasant. Octagon house. Two story. Cupola. Eight large gables.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  The image on the left was probably taken about 1950. That on the right about 2008.
  
  Source: Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: April, 2009.

City of Muskoka.

• Muskoka. Octagon house. Killicrankie Cottage - Lake Joseph. Built in 1886 as a family cottage for William and Grace MacKenzie, of Toronto. Two story. Porch on at least three sides. Burned in 1999.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  Source: Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: January, 2009.
  Updated February, 2010

City of New Brunswick.

• New Brunswick. Octagon house. Built about 1864 by Stephen S. Smith. Two story.
  
  Photograph
  
  Entered: January, 2009.

City of Peterborough.

• Peterborough. Octagon house. Built by William Lee for his brother John. Made of one inch thick, wide planks. And one time a varandah and balcony ran around the house. There were five rooms on the first floor, and four on the second floor. Large cupola. The house was destroyed in 1962.
  
  Photograph
  
  Entered: January, 2009.

Brant County

• Southwest of Brantford. Octagon house. Built in about 1870. Eight gabled roof. Cupola. Single story. Stucco.
  
  Photograph
  
  Large version -168 Kbytes
  
  Source: Dale J. Travis.
  Entered: July, 2007.

Essex County

• Kingsville. Octagon house. Built in 1856 by Col. James King, founder of Kingsville. Two wings added later. Now a bed and breakfast.
  
  Photograph
  
  Source: R. Kline
  Entered: June, 2001.
• Windsor. Octagon house. The LaFontain house. Built in 1875. Now gone. Three story. Mansard roof. Red brick. Located at 395 Pitt Street, at the corner of Mercer. Had an elliptical hall and stair. During a restoration effort it burned, and was then demolished.
  
  Photograph - front right,
  
  Photograph - front,
  
  Source: Scott Weir
  Entered: December, 2003.

Halton Region

• Burlington. Built in 1860 for John Pickett. Single story. Large cupola.
  
  Below is a "Halton Images Send Postcard of the Thomas Pickett Octagonal house, 6103 Guelph Line, 1988."
  
  Photograph.
  
  Source: Alana Mullaly
  Entered: March, 2008.

Leeds County

• Morton. Northeast of Kingston. Octagon brick schoolhouse. Built
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Source: Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: March, 2010.
• Morton. Northeast of Kingston. Octagon brick schoolhouse. Built in 1855-1857 by George Morton, owner of the local mill. Presenty in a state of neglect. Each wall about 25 feet. Has been used as a residence, but the school blackboard is still in place.
  
  Source: owner Keith Sly.
  Entered: June, 2001.
  Updated: July, 2007.

Norfolk county

• Port Rowen. Octagon school. Cherry Valley School. Built in 1866. Single story. Brick. Now a museum. Admission.
  
  Photograph
  
  Large version
  
  Source: Dale J. Travis.
  Entered: July, 2007.

Northumberland county

• Port Hope. Hexagon house. No other details available at present.
  Source: Paul Wilson.
  Entered July, 2003.
• Port Hope. Octagon house. Paul Wilson, the current owner, relates the following information about the house:
  
  "Port Hope is in the Province of Ontario in Canada. Port Hope is 65 miles east of Toronto and is situated on Lake Ontario. The town was first established in 1793. The Ganaraska river flows through the town and contributed to many businesses being established in the early years. The town had quite a number of distilleries and produced substantial quintiles of whiskey. Molson Breweries - one of our national breweries started out in Port Hope. Ontario contains the great lakes which border on a number of states - Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania. It's proximity to New York state which is where Fowler was based probably contributed to the building of a number of homes in the province. Our house was built by William Barrett in 1856. Mr. Barrett owned one or two mills on the river which was located adjacent to the property he owned. In addition to the mills and octagonal home, he also constructed a number of row houses for his employees. The house passed from the Barrett family to two generations of the Passy family who owned the house until 1970 when Mr. Passy died. In 1970, the house was acquired by a Harry McLeod who owned it for about a year an a half and sold it as it required substantial cleanup and restoration. We acquired the property in 1972, as a result of relocating to the area with a company who moved from Toronto. We have spent considerable time and money in re-establishing the property and house. The only modification to the house I am aware of was to the roof in the early 1900's. The original roof was flat and was used as a deck or patio by the owners. Access was by way of a circular staircase to the cupola and through a door to the roof. As a result of weather conditions, the flat roof began to leak and a pitched roof was added. The addition certainly did not take away from the look of the house and in fact may have improved it. The use of the rooms has changed over the years but the attributes have not been modified."
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Source: Paul Wilson, the current owner. Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered July, 2003.
  Updated June, 2006.

Oxford County.

• Clark's Corners. Octagon house. Build by Rev. William C. Beardsall. According to Judy Crane, this is the only other octagon house in in Oxford County. There is a smaller octagon structure on top of the house. Rev. Beardsall was a member of the Regular Baptist Church and the first Clerk of the Grand River Association South.
  
  Sources: Edgar Wright, Judy Crane, and "The Axe and the Wheel - A History of West Oxford Township," by West Oxford Women's Institute Committee.
• Otterville. Octagon house. Woodlawn. Built in 1861. Single story. Moved from Milldale and restored. Tours available.
  
  History and rennovation efforts.
  
  Photograph - front view.
  
  Floor plan.
  
  Photograph
  
  Large version.
  
  There is also a gazebo on the property. Whether it is the same age as the house is unclear.
  
  Source: Edgar Wright.
  Entered June, 2001.
  Updated April, 2006.
  Updated July, 2007.

Peel County

• Near Huttonville. Octagon house. Southwest of Huttonville at 8280 Heritage Road, a short distance north of Steeles Avenue West. Brick, one story. Sources: L. Kestenbaum; The Octagon Fad, p. 127.

Prince Edward County

• Picton. Octagon house. Appears to have been built around 1860. No cupola. Stucco exterior. Porch on three sides.
  
  Photograph.
  
  Source: James Godsmark
  Entered: September, 2006.

Prince Edward County

• Ameliasburg. Octagon house. Two story. CUpola. Porch on at least three sides.
  
  Photograph, probably taken in the 1950s.
  
  Source: "More About Octagons," Carl F. Schmidt.
  Entered: March, 2003.

City of Westport.

• Westport. Octagon house. Contemporary. On the Upper Rideau Lake, with a spectacular view.
  Source: Wayne Maddick
  Entered: May, 2002.

Regional Municipality of Niagra

• Niagara Falls. Octagon house. Age unknown. Located at 1783 Summer Street. Two story. Cupola. Porch on one side.
  
  Photograph
  
  
  
  
  Source: Dennis Gannon.
  Entered: July, 2008.
  Updated: June, 2009.
• St. Catharines. Octagon house. St. Catharines is about 15 miles northwest of Niagara Falls. Built about 1852, perhaps earlier. One story, topped with a belvedere. Stone construction. It is shown on Marcus Smith's map of St. Catharines, published in 1852. St. Catharines was formerly in Lincoln County, now part of the Regional Muncipality of Niagra. The home was long owned by Charles B. Thompson, a stock broker and dealer in sewing machines.
  
  1875 birds eye map showing house.
  
  1904 postcard showing house at center, right.
  
  A newspaper account of the demise of the house has been found:
  
  St. Catharines Standard, March 20, 1913, p.1 "Old Landmark is being removed"
  
  "Another landmark being removed to make room for the march of improvement is the old octagonal house of Chestnut street, recently purchased by Mr. Harry Cavers, who is having it pulled down in order to build modern houses. The octagon had a verandah all around it so that people could sit in the shade at all hours of the day. It was built about seventy years ago by a character known as "Long" Thompson, the first sewing machine agent in this district who afterwards went into the note discounting business. Notwithstanding his grasp of the material, he was prominent as a spiritualist and seances were held regularly in the bedroom, which became so notorious as a spook house that the children trembled as they passed it or avoided it altogether. The octagon was recently occupied by Mrs. Ella Boles. The lot on which it stood No. 41 Chestnut street, has a frontage of 50 feet, and is 110 feet deep. The last assessment was $750 on the lot and $800 on the house."
  
  But it appears that not everything said in the newspaper piece about was completely correct. The following is a correction:
  
  St. Catharines Standard, March 24, 1913, p. 2
  
  "The item in Thursday’s paper regarding the old landmark on Chestnut street, which is being removed to make room for a new house, was incorrect in some respects. It was not built by Mr. C. B. Thompson, though he lived in it for many years prior to his death, which took place 25 years ago. The Standard is informed that no spiritualistic seances were ever held there. Mr. Thompson had his peculiarities, but nevertheless was highly esteemed by the citizens of that day."
  
  Note that Chestnut Street is Carlisle Street as of 1961.
  
  Source: Dennis Gannon.
  Entered: June, 2008.

Renfrew County

• Calabogie. Octagon house. Built about 1907. Located at 15 Octagon Lane. Single story. No cupola.
  
  Photograph
  
  Source: R. Kline
  Entered: August, 2007.

York County

• Richmon Hill. Octagon cemetery vault. Built in 1863. Recently used during a funeral home renovation. Design by local architect Thomas Harris, and built for $368, the vault is constructed of white brick, on a granite floor. While generally in good condition, the structure has probably been altered somewhat since it was built. The orignal door, and the tin roof mentioned in an old letter, have both been replaced. A web site provides detailed information about the history of the structure.
  
  Front view.
  
  Closer view of the front.
  
  Closeup of front.
  
  Side view.
  
  Source: Eric Gault
  Entered: June, 2002.
• Toronto, Octagon house. Leaside. Built in 1841, by William Lea. Located near the present site of Leaside Memorial Gardens. Included joist sockets for a porch, which was never built. Burned in 1915.
  
  Photograph.
  
  Source: R. Kline
  Entered: November, 2003.
• Vaughan, north of Toronto. Octagon house. Major MacKenzie Drive, in the village of Maple. Photo pending.
  Source: Rich Corbett
  Entered: June, 2001.

QUEBEC

Temiscamingue County.

• Village of Guerin. Octagon house. Built in 1910 by carpenter Merhuld De la Chevrotiere for his own residence. One of the first buildings in the village. Wood, two stories, with the original French casement windows.
  Source: Paul Trepanier
  Entered: June, 2001.