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1873 Milton Osborn bought from Seth A. Mathison, Nov. 1864 Mathison bought from Ruth and Polly Douglass, Aug. 1859 Douglass bought from Henry McGee in Jan. 1859 H. McGee bought from George Hannahs Sept. 1858Her father, who lived in the house from the 1940s through the 1990s, had mentioned that the house was once owned by Milton Osborn, who might well have later sold it to Albion College. The "1873" might denote when the information was compiled.
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THE OCTAGON HOUSE
Much of the land around the intersection of the present Main and Chamberlain Streets was once an orchard, developed by Azariah Partridge. He also built his own cider mill, and once had an ice house down at the river.
About 1850 Mr. Partridge built a house on his farm that attracted wide attention and became a Flushing landmark. It became known as "The Octagon House" because of its eight sides.
This house was located on East Main Street, north side, just west of the present fire hall. Even though it was a landmark, it began to deteriorate, and in 1942 it was purchased by a local group of men, dismantled, and much of the lumber was used in building homes in the new Gerald Street development.
A newspaper account from 1942 provides the following information:"The information below is from the Flushing Observer, April 23, 1942. Perhaps it will add a little more information on the house.
Flushing Observer, April 23, 1942 (Flushing, Michigan) Octagon House, Early Landmark Is Torn Down Home Built By A. S. Partridge, A Pioneer, About 90 Years Ago
Another of Flushing's ancient landmarks is being torn down, this time the building being the old "Octagon House" on East Main Street. Dr. Bryce Miller, who bought the property last year, has sold the house to Harold Johnson, who intends to have it torn down and will probably use the material in the construction of two or three smaller houses.
According to the best available information the "Octagon House" as the building has been known for many years, was built by Azariah S. Partridge, who, at one time owned most of the land in what is now called the Point, as well as a large parcel on the south side of Main Street, now owned by F.W. Hertrich and the place occupied by R. N. Wismer. It is thought to have been built about 1850.
It has been discovered that white pine lumber was used throughout the house, some of the boards being 27 inches in width and 1 ΒΌ inches thick. All studding is pine, and most of it is straight and almost knotless. Such lumber nowadays is almost unknown.
It is said that the trees were felled and lumber cut on the Partridge place. Square iron (cut) nails were used throughout the building.
Known throughout this section because of its unusual shape, the Octagon House was in the early days of Flushing a popular place. A. S. Partridge, the owner, was quite an influential man in the community and his home was the gathering place for many groups, it being the practice in those days to meet in the home for such meetings as we now hold in town halls and auditoriums.
A county atlas lists Mr. Partridge among the important men of the community and records that he was elected assessor in Flushing when the village was just incorporated in 1878. He was a progressive farmer and at one time had his place almost entirely planted to orchard and fruit trees, some of which may still be seen in the yard at the Wismer home. He also operated a large cider mill and evaporating plant which at times gave employment to many men, and was later as an important business in the village.
Inquiry for a reason why Mr. Partridge chose the unusual Octagon shape for his home, brought two replies. One was that he could afford it and just wanted it that way. Another was that there was some who felt that such a shaped house could be more easily heated, there being no cold corners."
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The following information is from an initial survey of historic sites in Kalamazoo, done in 1973:
"The Octagon House" at 925 South Westnedge remains one of Kalamazoo's better-known landmarks. Allen Potter, pioneer merchant and later Kalamazoo's first Mayor and a Congressman from the District, built it in 1855. It continues today much as it appeared when it stood almost alone at the far southern end of the village.
Allen Potter entered into the hardware business when he came to Kalamazoo in 1845. He made friends and money quickly and soon branched into other parts of the village's business community. In 1850, for example, he joined with J. P. Woodbury to re-activate the bankrupt "Blast Furnace" just north of the village limits near what is now Riverside Cemetery. Though the furnace burned in 1851 and had to be rebuilt, Woodbury and Potter put it on a paying basis, mining ore from the banks of the river and turning it into iron for stoves which were manufactured on the site. In the mid-1850's, they sold their interest to a New England iron-master, William Burtt. Then, in 1857, Potter actively involved himself in establishing the village gas works, parts of which still stand between Portage and Pitcher streets. He also joined with Woodbury and William Wood in a successful private banking firm that became the Michigan National Bank in 1865.
Potter was equally active in village affairs. He helped to organize the first fire company in 1846, served in the state legislature in 1857, as village president in 1859, 1863, 1870 and 1872, and later held a number of positions with the school board, the sewer commission, and the State Hospital.
In 1855, he chose to build a home for his young family in what was then the edge of the countryside. He bought a lot near the old "Pioneer Cemetery," then being replaced by Mountain Home. He chose as his architectural model the "Octagon" fashion just then being broadcast in Orson Fowler's little book, A Home for All: The Octagon Mode of Building. Fowler, a popular phrenologist, believed very strongly that men's homes had major impact on their characters. The Octagon fashion was to provide Americans with the greatest possible living space for the least exterior wall. In addition, Fowler pioneered such ideas as the "family room," the "walkout basement" and the central "service core" for plumbing and heating. Though he intended that his houses be built for the "Common Man," it seems clear that people who felt somewhat "uncommon" chose the style for themselves. Though there were several "Octagon" houses in southwestern Michigan, only two seem to have been built in Kalamazoo--one by the local druggist, James Clapham [still standing at 628 S. Rose], and the other by Allen Potter.
The house itself is a good example of smaller octagon buildings. The living room is centrally located in the single story and lighted very nicely from the cupola windows. Kitchen, dining room and bedrooms opened off this central room. A small addition thrust through the rear wall to provide additional space. Altogether a spacious floor-plan, but somewhat smaller than Potter's financial worth would seem to warrant. The Potters lived in the house from 1855 to 1870. The 1860 Census-taker listed Potter as forty, his wife, Charity, as thirty-four, and three young children. He valued Potter's estate at $15,000 in real and $40,000 in personal property. By 1870, Potter had redistributed his worth, now totaling $60,000--$50,000 of which lay in real property. In 1870, he finished building a new residence for himself on South Street [718 W. South].
The Potters went on in the next fifteen years to earn a secure spot as one of Kalamazoo's "first families." Potter continued to think of himself as a banker, but branched out to other financial enterprises, including railroading and Colorado mining. He was elected as Kalamazoo's first Mayor when the country's largest "village" became a city in 1885, and he died in the same year. His wife, Charity, lived on South Street into the twentieth century. In 1910, the family was the subject of "A Tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Allen Potter," by Joseph MacCarthy, in which more than a hundred pages went to detailing their place in the community.
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Sources: Martha Irwin. Ellen Puerzer.
Entered: May, 2002
Updated: October, 2007
Updated: February, 2009
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Now a commercial building. Until about 1990, when E. Paris Road was
expanded from two to four lanes, the house was well
back from the road, and in a more rural setting.
Photograph supplied by Raymond V. Kline, April, 2001.
Dale Travis supplies this
set of photographs.
Larger version
An undated, early photograph of the house with a porch on seven sides
shown:
Early photograph.
Descriptions of the house in all of the photographs below are relative
to the front door. e.g., front left is to the left of the front door
as seen by someone standing outside, looking at the front door.
The following photographs were taking in March, 1973, and show the house
long before it became a commercial property.
Front view.
Front left view.
Front right view.
Kevin Berner supplied a
winter view
of the house.
The following photographs were taken during an open house celebrating
150 years since the construction of the house. Free access to the house
was provided, inside and out, and a reasonably complete view of the
house was obtained. After years without it, a porch similar to the
original, on 7 sides of the house, has been added, and the widow's
walk restored. It appears that around 1973 the upstairs of the house
was a separate apartment. A set of stairs leading from the rear first
floor entrance to the second floor, in no way original, has been
removed.
In general the house is in excellent condition.
One can compare the 1973 photos above to the house in 2005 to see how
much careful restoration wore has been done. Most of the fixtures have
been replaced again with pieces that would have existed when the
house was first electrified.
Exterior photographs
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Left side view
Front left view
Front right, showing front door and rear entrance
Right back side, showing basement, and the first, and second floors
Right back side, showing first and second floors
Right back side, showing mostly basement, first floor
Left back side, showing basement, and the first, and second floors
First floor interior photographs
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Front door
Fireplace and stairs to the second floor
Second floor interior photographs
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Front left side
Top of stairs, facing right side
Stair guard
Stair guard and stairs between the
first and second floors
Entrance to room in the rear of the
house. Hatch above the door is attic access
Basement interior photographs
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Access door to outside - mostly faces right side
Fireplace - no longer functional - also stairs to the first floor
Batten on basement ceiling, probably once plastered
Log holding up first floor beams
Sources: R. Kline, Dale Travis, Ray Boisvenue, and Kevin Berner.
Lynn Mack, the current owner of the house, provided free access to the
house for taking photographs.
Entered: March, 2002
Updated: March, 2005
Updated: June, 2005
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The house was substantially modified in the 1950s, as can be seen in below.
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The reasons for the substantial downsizing of the house are not currently known.
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