Source: Louis McGowan
Entered: April, 2006.
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Sources: Louis McGowan. Ellen Puerzer.
Entered: April, 2006.
Updated: March, 2009.
Updated: April, 2009.
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The house is located at 80 Phenix Avenue. Cranston at one time had three octagonal houses, but only this one survives. The Cranston RIHPHC report lists this as the Battey House, built circa 1854. In 1870, the house was owned by Judge Sheldon Knight, a judge of the Probate Court. Amos and Lydia Williams bought the house in 1880, and around 1925, Gennaro Senapi purchased the property. His family owned it at least into the 1970s. Today, there are four apartments in the building. This two-story building has been much changed. A large, full, two-story addition has been erected on the rear side of the building, and the whole structure has been aluminum-sided. There is no cupola and only a small, central, square chimney is to be found on the roof.
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Above is a good summary of the history of the house.
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1956 photograph. |
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Dining room. |
Front hall. |
Library. |
Living room. |
Parlor. |
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A roots web piece contains the following:
"Benjamin Merrill Hubbard, son of Daniel (3) and Tamison (Wheaton) Hubbard, was born February 25, 1818, at Leicester, Mass. He was a lad of twelve years of age when his father came to North Providence, R. I., and after a somewhat meager schooling he learned in the latter place the trade of shoemaking, but the youth was possessed of an unusual degree of mechanical skill and was exceedingly ambitious, so that after following his trade for a short time he secured a position with the old American Butt Company, with which he remained in the capacity of superintendent and general manager until the final dissolution of the concern. He thereupon engaged in a brokerage business on his own account, and for a time had his son, George Whipple Hubbard, as a partner in this enterprise. The business was conducted under the name of B. M. Hubbard & Company, and so continued until his death, March 5, 1882. Benjamin Merrill Hubbard was a very active figure in the life of the community in those days, and was affiliated with a large number of different clubs and fraternal organizations. He was particularly prominent in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and was a member of Hope Lodge and Moshassuck Encampment of that order. In his religion Mr. Hubbard was a Methodist and attended Trinity Church, Providence, R. I. It was this Mr. Hubbard, who in the year 1855 built the celebrated 'Octagon House', at No. 307 Knight street, one of the earliest, if not the earliest, example of this type of house built in the city. He continued to reside in this house until his death. "
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Warwick RI. 25/27 South Fair Street, Pawtuxet Village, Warwick (c1830) Octagon-shaped house, the only one in Pawtuxet. This two-story building with alterations, was constructed during the octagon house craze of the 1830's. One corner was built out, giving the house the shape of an irregular heptagon. Subsequent alterations have obliterated the original architectural character of the dwelling.. The house is divided into two apartments, one upstairs and one downstairs.
It is a two-story, hip-roofed structure with one corner built out (which the present owner says was done prior to 1952), changing its original octagon shape into an irregular heptagon. Its exterior walls are shingled. The interior staircase is on the side of the house and not in the center, as Fowler recommended. There is no cupola and only a modern chimney in the center of the roof. Still standing in 2008
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