- Coudersport. Octagon house. Built by or for John Hamilton in 1856.
Located at 7th and North Main Street.
Demolish on October 28, 1937, to make room for
a silk factory in the 1930s.
Kay Brownell Reed relates the following:
In May of 1856 John Hamilton contracted with Wm. Herrod for the erection of an octagon brick dwelling house directly north of the corner of Main and Seventh Sts. The basement contained a kitchen and dining room as well as several otherrooms for servant use. The entire house was most beautifully furnished in the taste of cultured refinement.
Steve Hamilton wrote in 1904 of some of his memories of Coudersort in the early days. In 1847 he and his family moved here from Philadelphia in a "schooner" wagon. They lived several places before building the octagon house.
Feb 2 1888 - House and lot for sale. The desirable house and lot occupied lately by Steve Hamilton.
Steve Hamilton sold this home to Conrad Miller in 1932.
On May 13 of 1937 this house and property were sold to Brownhill & Kramer who started a silk mill on the site.
Oct 28 1937 - A crew of workmen under the direction of Art Froebel started work of demolishing the old Octagon House.
There was also an octagon school house in Ulysses, PA, and one in Westfield, Tioga Co., PA.
Left click on the image below for a larger version.
Sources: Ellen Puerzer. Kay Brownell Reed, Librarian, Potter Co.,
Genealogist, Potter Co. Historical Society.
Entered: September, 2009
- Lewisville. ( Called Ulysses in year 2009) Octagon house. Built
circa 1859 as the Potter County Academy. Sheri Graves provides the following
information:
In 1859, an academic school was erected in Lewisville by subscription.
Among the chief contributors were O. A. and Burton Lewis, A. B. Bennitt,
Hon. D. C. Larrabee, BEnoni Pierce and Seth Lewis. With the assistance of other
donations and the proceeds from an oyster supper and square dance, the mortgage
which the stockholders had required to finance the undertaking was eliminated.
This school became known as the Octagon Academy because of the shape in which
it was built. In the initial stages of its construction, a strong wind toppled
the frame. Mr. Larrabee, who was on the frame at the time with Mr. Swift,
escaped unharmed except for fine hemlock slivers in his arms, which he received
from sliding down one of the twenty-four foot posts which had remained upright.
Mr. Swift was somewhat jarred by the fall. The builders again set up the
framework which had been damaged to the extent of $200, and soon the first high school in Lewisville was established.
In 1895, due to an increasing attendance, Henry Button was contracted to
construct a new and more spacious building. Two years later, the old building
was sold to Edson Hyde, who used some of the lumber in the construction of his
law office, which has since been converted into a garage. The remaining lumber was used for a barn on Water Street.
The Octagon Academy was erected in the Borough in 1859. This was torn down in 1895 and a more commodious school was built near the site.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
Source: Ellen Puerzer. Sheri Graves, Ulysses librarian.
Entered: September, 2009
- West Bingham. Octagon house. Built by Jerome Harvey.
Construction completed in January, 1870.
Below is a unique example of a construction schedule produced by the
builder.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
Sources: Kay Brownell Reed, Potter Co. Genealogist & Librarian, Potten Co.
Historical Society. Ellen Puerzer.
Entered: September, 2009
