ILLINOIS

Adams County.

• Quincy. Octagon house. Built in 1857, for the town's founder, John Wood, later the governor of Illinois, at a cost said to be $200,000. Demolished in the 1950s or 1960s. The home was located on about State Street and 12th. Kyle Fee has provided an image of a painting of the home based on old photographs.
  
  The undated photo below is from an old stereoscope image.
  
  
  
  Left click on the image above for a larger version.
  
  Sources: Becky Lawin. Kyle Fee. Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: June, 2001
  Updated: January, 2002.
  Updated: February, 2009.

Coles County.

• Mattoon. Octagon house. Built between 1858 and 1860, by Ichabod Jennings. Located at 2316 Western Avenue. Two story. Porch around at least three sides. No cupola. Shown in a segment of an 1884 map of Mattoon, at the center of the image. A consideration for building an "eight square house," as Jennings called it, was a wind incident that convinced him that an octagon house would fair better in the prairie winds. This notion was widespread at the time, and has merit. The house was demolished in 1925 by Howard Jennings, a grandson.
  
  The article below, left, was written in January, 1951. The article below, right, is from the Mattoon Daily Journal Gazette, September 1, 1955.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  Sources: R. Kline. Ellen Puerzer. Norma Winkleblack, Chair, Collections Committee, Coles History.
  Entered: June, 2002.
  Updated: June, 2009.
  Updated: March, 2011

Cook County.

• Barrington. Octagon house. Built in stages. The first, perhaps built in 1850, but this is not known for sure, was one story. In 1882 the second story and the porch on three sides were added. Located at 223 West Main Street. Appears to be wood construction. A document in PDF format is the application for National Register of Historic Places status, and describes the home in more detail. .
  
  Photograph.
  
  
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  The newspaper piece above is from October 6, 1985.
  
  Sources: Dale Travis. Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: February, 2002.
  Updated: January, 2007
  Updated: March, 2011
  Updated: September, 2011
  Updated: December, 2011
• Bartlett. Octagon house. Built about 1911 by Henry Hothan. Located at 139 S. Eastern. Irregular octagon. Three stories. Appears to be in excellent condition.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  Sources: Felicia Stanczak & Robb Cagann, the current owners. Carol Ann Kunkel. Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: April, 2008.
  Updated: October, 2011
• Evanston. Round house. Built in 1856 from an old ship, and razed in 1899. An 1880 newspaper said it was one of the oldest houses in town. Located on Hinman.
  
  The newspaper piece below erroneously describes the house as being an octagon. It is round.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  Sources: Ellen Puerzer. Jennie Berkson, librarian, Evanston Public Library. The Evanston History Center. Barbara Buchbinder Green's book, "A Pictoral History."
  Entered: December, 2010.

DuPage County.

• Downers Grove. Octagon house. Once a railroad switch house. Construction date uncertain - perhaps the 1920's or 1930's. Three stories. Bottom floor is the living/family room and utility room. Middle floor is the entrance and kitchen. Top floor is bedrooms and bathroom. Size: 8 feet 4 inches per side, so it's a rather small structure, at about 330 square feet per story.
  
  Demolished, perhaps in 2004, to make room for expensive new houses.
  
  Photograph.
  
  Larger version.
  
  Source: Bruce A. Epperson, and Dale Travis, who supplied the photograph..
  Entered: June, 2001.
  Updated: January, 2007
• Downers Grove. Octagon house. Built in 1872 by O.C.Gibbs. Located near downtown Downers Grove, at 4730 Washington Street.
  
  According to the owner, the house still has many original elements, including stained glass windows, original interior doors and hinges and window casements, and a 360 degree staircase. In general the house is very well preserved.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  Source: Kelly Dahle, the current owner. Ellen Puerzer. The Downers Grove Park District Museum.
  Entered: September, 2007.
  Updated October, 2009
  Updated: April, 2011

Ford County.

• Paxton. Semi-octagon house. Built in the 1880s. Located at 357 West Pells Street.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Source: Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: April, 2010.

Fulton County.

• Fairview. Octagon house. Age unclear. Single story. Located on the SE corner of Wilson and Pumyea.
  Photograph.
  
  Larger version.
  
  Source: Dale Travis.
  Entered: July, 2002
  Updated: January, 2007

Greene County.

• White Hall. Hexagon house. Built in 1855 by R. W. Redwine. Porch surrounding one of six one story arms, radiating from each of the six sides. A large hexagon cupola served as a study. Located at 130 North Jacksonville.
  Photograph.
  
  Larger version.
  
  Summer, 2007, photograph
  
  Sources: Dale Travis. Earl Vinyard, owner as of 2007.
  Entered: March, 2002
  Updated: January, 2007
  Updated: November, 2007

Hamilton County

• McLeansboro. Octagon/Hexagon house. The Herndon Harrelson built 1871. The structure was merging of five hexagonal units. A large, two story structure, it had attracted the notice of preservationists just before vandals burned it down in 1973.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  Sources: Article, photo, drawings, floor diagram.. Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: June, 2001.
  Updated: March, 2011

Kane County.

• Aurora. Octagon house. Built some time between 1867 and 1882. Single story. Wood construction. No cupola.Located at 83 North Avenue.
  
  Photograph.
  
  Aerial view of house.
  
  Source: R. Kline
  Entered: August, 2007
• Batavia. Octagon house. Built some time after 1864. 264 South Forest Avenue. Razed some time after 1996.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  Source: Dale Travis. Ellen Puerzer. Chris Winter, Museum Coordinator, Batavia Depot Museum.
  Entered: March, 2002
  Entered: June, 2009
• Southeast of Burlington. Hexagon building. Age and function unclear. Single story. Wood construction. No cupola.
  Photograph.
  
  Larger version.
  
  Source: Dale Travis.
  Entered: September, 2003
  Updated: January, 2007
• Elgin. Octagon house. Built in the 1850s for Rudolphus & Mary Padelford, who occupied the house until 1875. It was then a bording house from 1879 until it burned in 1897. Located on the corner of Chapel and Fulton. ( 1880 streets and names. ) Shown at the center of an 1880 map segment of Elgin. Two story. Two story, with Mansard roof. Widows walk. octagon building off to one side, possibly attached.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Sources: R. Kline. Ellen Puerzer. David Siegenthaler - Elgin Area Historical Society.
  Entered: June, 2002
  Updated: June, 2009
• Elgin. Octagon house. Built in the early 1850s. At what today would be 212 S. State Street. Owned by Samuel N. Brown. Owned by John Watkins in 1855. Torn down in 1867.
  Sources: Ellen Puerzer. David Siegenthaler - Elgin Area Historical Society.
  Entered: June, 2009
• Geneva. Partial octagon house. The East View. Built in 1851, for Augustus Herrington. Located at 416 South First Street. Located on the corner of South and First Streets. ( 1869 streets and names. ) Shown at the center of an 1869 map segment of Geneva. Two story. Cupola. Two large attachments, but five of the sides are still clear.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  The top row, right, item is from 1871. The bottom row, left, item is from 1894. The bottom row, right, item is from 1960.
  
  Sources: R. Kline. Ellen Puerzer. Ron Rawson, Archivist, Geneva Histroy Center.
  Entered: June, 2002
  Updated September, 2009

La Salle County

• Mendota. Octagon house. Built in 1853, for Warren Clark. Located at 1208 Washington. Two story, wood, almost flat roof. Poor condition. As of June, 2009, the new owner of the house plans to restore it.
  
  The images below show the house over the years.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Photograph.
  
  Larger version.
  
  Photograph, taken in perhaps July, 1936, by Joseph Hill.
  Photograph, taken in November, 1936, by Richard Grant.
  Photograph, taken in November, 1936, by Richard Grant, showing another view of the house.
  
  Sources: Dale Travis, and the Smithsonian HABS project.
  Entered: March, 2002
  Updated: July, 2003
  Updated: June, 2009
• Mendota. Octagon house. Now gone. Located across the road from from the Warren Clark house.
  Source: R. Kline
  Entered: September, 2002
  Updated: January, 2007
• Near Ottawa. Octagon farmhouse. Built in 1856 by James Pickens. Three story. Large octagonal room on the top of the house. Circular staircase at the center. Each side had paired windows. The house was demolished around 1938, as suggested in one of the newspaper pieces below, for reasons unknown.
  
  The images below show the house over the years. The house had lost its extensive porches by around 1910 already. It's likely they rotted away, and were too expensive to replaces. Attachment points for the porches in the walls are evident in the photo at the right, below.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  The photograph at the left above is circa 1910, and shows eight members of the Pickens family. The photograph at the right shows the house shortly before it was demolished around 1930.
  
  Sources: Library of Congress web site. Ellen Puerzer. Mollie Perrot.
  Entered: October, 2002
  Updated: May, 2009
  Updated November, 2009
  Updated: November, 2011

Marshall County

• Sparland. The Robert Waugh octagon house. Built in 1887. Brick. Three story. Listed on National Historic Register. Located at 202 School Street.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  The current owners are engaged in restoring the house as of August, 2009. Well located, but in need of repair, the couple is bringing a great deal of enthusiasm and energy to the project, with the help of many family members.
  
  Photograph.
  Sources: Dale Travis. Ellen Puerzer. The current owners, Tara and Floyd. The floor plans and detailed descriptions are from the NRHP application, roughly over the dates February 6, 1978 to October 4, 1978.
  Entered: June, 2001.
  Updated August, 2009
  Updated October, 2009
• North of Washburn. Octagon house. Built in 1856. Two story. Square cupola, more to house chimneys than to occupy apparently. The image below provides historyical information about the house.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  

  Photograph.

  
  Sources: Dale Travis. Ellen Puerzer. Marshall County Historical Society.
  Entered: October, 2001.
  Updated August, 2009

Morgan County.

• Jacksonville. Octagon house. Built by Rufus C. Crampton, an Illinois College professor. Date not given. Located at 222 Park St.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Photograph.
  
  Source: Dale Travis.
  Entered: July, 2002.
  Updated: January, 2007
  Updated January, 2010

Ogle County.

• Kings. Octagon house. According to Homer Bailey, who is the fourth generation Bailey to own and live in the home:
  
  "The home and has been in the Bailey family since 1862. The house was built in 1858, or at least started at that time. This property changed ownership three times between 1855 and 1862, but I believe that Cyrel Sturtevant and his wife Luisa built this for their home. The story I have been told is that he spent so much time & money on building the home, that he defaulted on the loan and the property was reclaimed by John Bell who had sold the property to Sturtevant. My family moved to Illinois from Wayne, New York and purchased this farm/home on May 13, 1862 from John Bell. Samuel Lockwood Bailey and wife Hiley, were the first Bailey's to have owned this property. It has remained in our family since 1862.
  
  The home is constructed from limestone. Two stones approximately 6 inches in width and 2 inches thick laid together making for a 12 inch thick wall. Then it has a stucco facing on the exterior. The staircase to the second story is constructed along the northeast wall. Also, the basement stairs are underneath these stairs. Originally, on the first floor, there was kitchen, a main living area and also a formal parlor. The second story had three bedrooms. Today, a bathroom has replaced the kitchen. The parlor is a library. The main living area is a formal dining room. The second story still has three bedrooms. In approximately 1905, my grandfather,
  
  Judge Lockwood Bailey, needed additional living space, so he constructed a wooden structure on the south side of the octagon structure. The original flat tin roof on the octagon structure remains intact yet today. However, in order to place a roof on the wooden addition, they placed an entire roof over the entire structure by placing a gable roof over the flat metal roof. Today, the octagon's metal roof is a nice flat surface in the attic area. This explains the unusual roof line. I am the fourth generation to live here, hopefully, one of our sons' will be the fifth generation to live in this home."
  
  The house once had a cupola, and whether because of maintenance issues or because of modifications, it is now gone. It's not clear that it ever had a porch, which is slightly unusual.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Photograph.
  
  Sources: Dale Travis. Don Burnell. Homer Bailey.
  Entered: July, 2002
  Updated: January, 2007
  Updated January, 2010

Peoria County.

• Peoria. Octagon house. Built in or before 1867. Needs verification. Located at the corner of Edmund and Adams street. cupola. Two story. Shown at the center of a segment of an 1867 map of Peoria.
  Source: R. Kline
  Entered: June, 2002

Pike County.

• Griggsville. Octagon house. The Lawton house. Appears to be 1860s vintage. Two story, porch on three sides, walkway on tops. Likely stucco. In Carl Schmidt's second book about octagon houses, "More About Octagons," it is stated ( in or about 1965), that three more octagon houses existed within about sixteen miles of the Lawton house, all with grout walls. All are now gone.
  
  Photograph.
  
  Larger version.
  
  
  Photograph, probably taken in the 1950s.
  
  As seen in the two photographs, the house has seen many external modifications since the 1950s. Although the house appears to be in very good condition in year 2002 yet, the concept of original condition for most exiting Fowler period octagon houses is generally elusive. They have mostly seen many modifications both inside and out, almost from the day of original construction, and in most cases it's unlikely anyone knows what they first looked like. This is but another example.
  Source: Dale Travis, and "More About Octagons," Carl F. Schmidt.
  Entered: March, 2002
  Updated: January, 2007
• Naples. Octagon house. Located on Chambersburg Road. Now gone.
  Source: R. Kline.
  Entered: September, 2002
• Valley City. Octagon house. Now gone. Nothing else known.
  Source: R. Kline.
  Entered: September, 2002.

Randolph County.

• Schuline. Charter Oak octagon schoolhouse. Built in 1872. Located at 9272 Schuline Road. Located between Walsh and Schuline. In use until 1953, when it was closed due to consolidation.
  Photograph.
  
  Larger version.
  
  Source: Dale Travis
  Entered: August, 2002
  Updated: January, 2007
  Updated October, 2009

Rock Island County.

• Moline. Built in or before 1887. Located at Third Avenue and 20th Street. Razed in 1910. Between 1900 and 1910 at least, it was used as an office for the Moline Pump Company. The 1887 bird's eye view of the house shows that it was surrounded by industrial properties already. It's quite likely the house was built much earlier than 1887, as a residence, and simply found itself isolated at some point, and was then taken over for use as a factory office building. It seems unlikely that such an ornate structure would have been built as an office building.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  The photograph on the right was taken around 1900. The one one the left before 1910.
  
  Source: Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: November, 2009.

Stephenson County.

• German Valley. Octagon house. Likely 1860s vintage. Four gables. Porch on three sides.
  Photograph.
  
  Larger version.
  
  Source: R. Kline
  Entered: September, 2002
  Updated: October, 2002
  Updated: January, 2007
• Lena. Octagon house. Built in 1848 by retired army captain Fordice Rogers. Two story, large cupola, grout construction. It was finally razed in 1949 to make room for another house. Located at 14264 East Howardsville Road, or very close to it.
  
  The photograph below is undated, but appears to be old.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Sources: "More About Octagons," Carl F. Schmidt. Ellen Puerzer. William Engel.
  Entered: October, 2002
  Updated August, 2009
• East of Lena. Octagon house. Built in 1857 by Isaac Swart. Two story. Stone block construction. Swart was a stone mason. Using stone quarried on his property, alternating layers of six and eight inch blocks run the thickness of the wall. The roof replaces a water supply system originally on the roof that did not work out.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  Photograph.
  
  The images below are from the Smithsonian HABS project. No dates are available. The photographs could date from the 1930s to the early 1960s. Where details are available they are included here. Otherwise, most of the photographs are self explanatory.
  
  Photograph 1.
  Photograph 2.
  Photograph 3, View of the northwest side.
  Photograph 4. View of the northwest side.
  Photograph 5. View of the east side, showing a chimney and gable dormer.
  Photograph 6. View of the east side from a greater distance.
  Photograph 7. Detail of a cornice and gable dormer.
  Photograph 8. Cornice detail.
  Photograph 9. Detail of a four paned window on the east side.
  
  Sources: Dale Travis and the Smithsonian HABS project..
  Entered: March, 2002
  Updated: July, 2003
  Updated: January, 2007
  
  

Warren County.

• SE of Roseville. Actually in Swan Township. Octagon house. Built in 1856 by James Tucker, to replace his log cabin. He moved to Roseville in 1882. His son ran the farm until 1920. Carlton Gossett bought the house on May 1, 1943. After that the house was owned by the Harold and June Beard family, and Tom and Sue Tygrett family, who were the last to live in the house. It is currently owned by William and Nancy Gossett. Two story. Porch on three sides.Located at 530 85th Street. In year 2010 the house is considered uninhabitable, not having been lived in for about 20 years.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  Sources: Ellen Puerzer. Dean Sandstrom and the Warren County Genealogical Society. Larisa Good, Director, Warren COunty Public Library. ReviewAtlas.com supplies a photograph.
  Entered: July, 2002
  Updated: January, 2007
  Updated: August, 2010
  Updated: September, 2010

Washington County.

• Richview. Octagon house. Built in about 1871 by a person with the last name Cooper. Stucco outside. At one time it had a two story porch. Four main rooms downstairs. The four rooms on the second floor were somewhat smaller, to make two triangular rooms a little larger. It had a full, deep, field-stone cellar, which at one time served as garage for the owner's one-cylinder Lieo automobile, one of the first in Richview. Razed in about 1968.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  The newspaper piece above is from November 10, 1969.
  
  Source: Ellen Puerzer.
  Entered: May, 2009.
  Updated September, 2009
  Updated October, 2009

Whiteside County.

• Morrison. Octagon house. Built in 1866. Located on 209 E. Wall Street. Two story. Significant extension on perhaps two sides, which might be original.
  Photograph.
  
  Larger version.
  
  Source: Dale Travis.
  Entered: October, 2002
  Updated: January, 2007

Will County

• Plainfield. The Johnson octagon house. Built in 1854. Located at US-30 and Van Dyke Road. Two Story. Destroyed by a tornado in 1990.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  The photograph, above, left, is circa 1880. The sketch, above, right, was done in 1997.

  
  
  Sources: R. Kline. Ellen Puerzer. Wm. D. Schlabbitz, whose family built the house, supplied the 1997 drawing. Tina Beaird, of the Plainfield library, provided the photograph.
  Entered: September, 2002.
  Updated: December, 2011
• Wilmington. Octagon house. Built in 1856, by carpenter David Aldrich. Owned by the Schutten family starting in 1910, and by the Monteith family from 1902 to 1910. Located at 600 S. Water Street. There were once four stoves per floor, and four chimneys on the house. A great deal of original exterior "gingerbread" has long since rotted away, yet one more indication that the paint of 150 years ago was nearly worthless in terms of weather protection.
  
  The house was wired in the 1930s, and it was discovered then that most of the walls were brick filled, making the jobs nearly impossible.
  
  The images below show the house over the years.
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  

  Left click on the image below for a larger version.

  

  
  
  
  Photograph.
  
  Larger version.
  
  Source: John Archibald. Photograph supplied by Dale Travis.
  Entered: February, 2002.
  Updated: January, 2007
  Updated: November, 2011

Winnebago County.

• Rockford. Octagon house. Built about 1850. Stone. About 45 feet in diameter. Located on south Kelana Road, where it becomes a dirt road.
  
  Photograph.
  
  Source: Dale Travis
  Entered: August, 2002.
  Updated: February, 2007.
• Rockford. Octagon house. The Ralph Giddings house. Built in 1856. Located at 707 7th Street. The demolition permit is dated August 14, 1953.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  The image above is from a 1930 Sanborn map. The house was probably located on Kishwaukee when the land was less developed.
  
  Sources: R. Kline. Ellen Puerzer. Jean H. Lythgoe, Rockford Public Library.
  Entered: October, 2002.
  Updated January, 2010
  Updated: July, 2010
• Rockford. Octagon house. Built in 1856. The house was inspected on June 17, 1977, but is now apparently gone. Located at the intersection of Court and Morgan. Two story. Cupola. Shown in a segment of an 1880 map of Rockford.
  
  

  Left click on the images below for larger versions.

  
  
  The image above is part of a 1928 Sanborn map.
  
  Sources: R. Kline. Ellen Puerzer. Jean H. Lythgoe, Rockford Public Library.
  Entered: June, 2002.
  Updated January, 2010
  Updated: July, 2010