When the daughter turned in anger to go down the stairs, she fell down the stairs (or over the railing; stories differ) and died. The legend, which made its first appearance in a 1908 article run by the Minneapolis Tribune, has appeared on TV shows, and in numerous ghost books, and usually follows a story-line similar to this: Two of Colonel Tayloe's daughters are said to haunt The Octagon. The oldest of the ghost legends seems to be one which deals with the mysterious ringing of the servants call bells. One such occurrence happened when Marlene was applying wallpaper in a room. Some declare that it was discovered, after a time, that rats were the ghosts who rung the bells; others, that the cause was never discovered, and that finally the family, to secure peace, were compelled to take the bells down and hang them in different fashion. Cites: (a) Glenn Brown, architect, Secretary of the American Institute of Architects. Ringing bells was the way they used to haunt the old mansion, and every night at exactly the same hour their din would be heard.". She believes Ruth and the children are restless because they havent come to terms with Edwins death, why he left them and didnt return alive. Children who die from accident or disease, sometimes choose to stay in a structure in this world where they felt love and support. But the house is definitely a place worthy of its reputation, especially if you happen to be a fan of paranormal activities and ghost stories. There, a message scratched into the wall dated 1888 seems to give directions to the next safe house along the path of the Underground Railroad. Look which ever way you will, he wrote, and you observe happiness prosperity and wealth.. Octagon House; Old Croton Aqueduct Trail; . The house actually has 6 sides, but was called "The Octagon" by the Tayloes. The building served as a hospital for Confederate soldiers and a target for the Union Army during the Civil War. The Octagon House is described as being An Extremely Unique Property; an Architectural Masterpiece! The houses mid-1800s American style layout may be a bit odd by modern standards, but the space is well-designed for a family in 1856 as well as families who lived here throughout the eras. [28], A gambler shot to death in the home's third-floor bedroom in the late 19th century has been reportedly seen in the room in which he died. The home was six-sided, made from bricks, and was designed with some of the most innovative features at the time like a closet for every room including the kitchen. Another famous presence that is said to be overstaying her welcome in the home is Dolley Madison (who had passed in another house in Washington D.C. in 1849, but lived here for a large part of the presidency of her husband) she is said to be haunting the Octagon House as well as other D.C. landmarks like the White House and the Cutts-Madison House where she lived out her final years. The house, which PG&E spokesmen said the company places no value on, is one of the few in San Francisco never to have been wired for electricity. When he looked over the bannister he saw a man in black walking through the stairhall. Variations of the stories have been recorded since 1908, but NONE of the Tayloes daughters ever died in the Octagon. https://wamu.org/story/11/10/28/a_ghostly_slumber_party_one_night_at_the_octagon_house/, https://www.abandonedspaces.com/mansion/octagon-house.html. Also added to the basic 1856 structure was a wrap around porch that at some point was enclosed, perhaps to create more living space. Ann Ogle Tayloe offered the residence as a place for the French Consulate. Would love your thoughts, please comment. William moved in the 1850s from Virginia, setting up shop as a miller. Nine of them, to be exact, such as the false fireplace in the parlor that conceals a small wooden stairway. After Ann's death, the Tayloe children began renting out the house. Both John and Ann were buried at Mount Airy. A newspaper of the account included a reference to the legend of the bells. It was here that President Madison signed the Treaty of Ghent in February 1815, formally ending the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States. President Madison ratified the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, in the upstairs study at the Octagon on February 17, 1815. Doors open and shut by themselves, without help from the living or the wind. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. "Now and then I hear tales of the ancient ghosts in the Octagon House. While she had dinners with events for Mothers Day, Christmas and other major and minor holidays, the most popular events held here happened in October; offering candle lit tours of the tunnels and passages. The reason behind the naming of the six-sided building as the Octagon is unknown. I regard Octagon House as being possessed by the spirit world, long time owner Marlene Hansen said in 1976. If you experience problems with the form or want to attach images please email them to info@wisconsinfrights.com, Are you affiliated with this location? Among other remedies, had been previously tried that of exorcism, but the prayers of the priest who had been summoned availed nought.". The octagon house trend was short-lived, and its not hard to see why. from Georgetown, and about .5mi. The home stayed in the McElroy family for 50 years. The spirit of Ruth made her presence known to the owner Marlene throughout the house, and perhaps to the docents as well. 5 farmhouses to book for an agritourism getaway, Des Linden unveils new book, shares race day must-haves, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). A small storage room is concealed beneath the porch. Kind of a low moan, repeated twice, it wasnt a word just a guttural sound. When Isaacs son Edwin married the daughter of the influential Pier family, Isaac gave the house to the happy couple as a wedding gift. By far the most intricate legends connected with the Octagon are those that concern its two staircases, particularly the main staircase, which spirals up three floors. Sounds of children laughing and playing have been reported by docents and others. YesNo, If yes, how? The octagonal home includes four rooms on the first floor and seven rooms on the second, built around a central staircase. [27], In the late 1940s, a doctor who had made a house call to the Octagon had a strange encounter on the stairway. It was stated that. All rights reserved. His early death in 1824 was possibly connected to wounds received during the war. The Octagon House in Washington, D.C. has a fascinating floorplan and an elegant design. Even today the house stands out as luxurious and refined. January 18, 1984: Bathroom in the Feusier Octagon House, located at 1067 Green Street in San Francisco's Russian Hill. Indeed, Isaac Brown had a secret purpose for the homes special features. It sits at the intersection of 18th Street, NW and New York Avenue. September 17, 1951: Stairway in the Octagon House (aka the McElroy House) . The Tayloes were involved in shipbuilding, horse breeding and racing, and owned several iron foundriesthey were fairly diversified for a plantation family. By that time, the neighborhood around the house had changed significantly as factories and breweries filled the Foggy Bottom waterfront. Colonel Tayloe and his daughter quarreled on the second floor landing over the girl's relationship with a British officer stationed in the city. Rise from the grave and help out some animals at t, Haunted Hotel for Sale in Wisconsin, Ghosts Included. Besides being the emergency escape route from a possible attack from hostile Native Americans, Isaac Brown joined Fond de lacs Underground Railroad by using this house as an Underground Railroad stop in this massive effort to move ex-slaves to Canada. This passageway led down to the basement tunnel, which led to the nearby river. This stunning house is layered with history and spirits that cant seem to free themselves, so they haunt a time that is not their own, causing fear and shock over the years. Major restoration efforts were undertaken in the 1960s and the 1990s, which returned the Octagon to its Tayloe-era appearance. There is no historical evidence to support these stories. [23] The first allegedly died before the War of 1812. By the 1970s, this historic property was too much of a fixer upper opportunity; too dilapidated to rent, even to the poorest residents of Fond du lac. Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr, Visit the memorable Milwaukee Haunted Hotel, 2004-2023 HauntedHouses.com | All rights reserved unless noted otherwise, Haunted Houses Find Real Haunted Houses, Explore Hauntings and Halloween Attractions, The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations, THE WISCONSIN ROAD GUIDE TO HAUNTED LOCATIONS, by Chad Lewis & Terry Fisk. She is said to have written that in Washington the Octagon was generally thought to be haunted because of the violent and unexplained ringing of the service bells. Dutton House, VT (A male spirit has a hard time with the amount of visitors that invade his home during museum hours). Mayor Issac was also very anti-slavery, and decided to live his beliefs by using this new structure for the good of humanity. By 1874 the bell legend was well established. A maintenance man from the 1970s was working at the house late one night, vacuuming the stairs between the first and second floor, and saw a man wearing dark black clothing, late nineteenth century, and a tall hat walk up the stairs. Sources: [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/OctagonHouse-Washington-DC_DSC6648.jpg/1280px-OctagonHouse-Washington-DC_DSC6648.jpg]. Owner Marlene Hanson has seen glowing eyes of spirits where the underground tunnel connects to the house. All the investigation groups were very happy with their results as well. People collect free clothing at a distribution center outside of the badly damaged McElroy Octagon House after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. While Tayloe III was a Federalist, he was not solidly in Madisons corner politically. From that time, the Octagon House became a rental. Dolley and James Madison resided in the Octagon House from September 1814 through March 1815, after the White House was burned by the British. The Tayloes had 15 children, 13 of whom survived to adulthood (2 died in infancy: Anne, born and died in 1800, and Lloyd, born 1815, died 1816). Variations of the legend are so well developed and circulated, that visitors to the house are often thoroughly convinced that they are based on fact. A Silicon Valley exodus is Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? Another rumor is that Brown built the house as a fort in which he could hide in the event of an attack by the Native Americans dwelling in the untamed lands on the other side of the river. Its rich history and important location mark it as a location with many layers to unfold, some no doubt including unhappy spirits that linger on. Through one door, you went into the parlour. Octagon House is haunted by the family that lived there more than 150 years ago. Shanley Hotel, NY (Spirit of the hotel barber still looks after his daughter here. "Ghosts: Washington's Most Famous Ghost Stories, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, American Institute of Architects Foundation, List of National Historic Landmarks in the District of Columbia, List of octagonal buildings and structures in the United States. The house, which was owned by PG&E, was sold and moved across the street to its current location. Through another was the dining room. It was built in 1856 by Isaac Brown, the first mayor of Fond du Lac, on the site of an established settlement and trading post. Help us maintain the accuracy of our information. At the time, it had incredible views stretching in all directions of the burgeoning city. It has been featured on A&E, Travel Channel, Ghost Hunters and Haunted Collector. An electrician was brought in to, finally, get lights in the place. this also brought in a steady income to continue in the maintenance of this historic house. Some academics believe the secret spaces within the Octagon House were built during that time for the clandestine storage and transportation of liquor. When Cyprus told him that there wasn't, the doctor looked perplexed and told him of encountering a man on the stairs just a few moments before who had been dressed in a military uniform of the early 1800s. When she returned home to reconcile with her father, they argued on the third-floor landing. This is a carousel. At the hour of midnight, as I and two others were crossing the threshold of a room on the second floor, three feminine shrieks rose from the center of the room. One of the potential roadblocks in selling this historic American style architectural treasure besides its layout and style, is the fact that spirit people are still residing there as well. Elizabeth Ford, in her 1957 article Lively Ghost, Secret Tunnel at Octagon exhibited a definitely skeptical attitude when she wrote that: an octaroon, contrary to her wishes, was buried alive inside the walls. NE of Hamburgh, which was absorbed into the new city plan. Local dressmaker and antiques dealer, Marlene Hanson bought the property with days to spare, without even seeing the inside of it. Each room was cut off from the others by a series of doors, and the staircase up to the second floor was located, through more doors, in the very center of the house. Reports of the slave girl's body being found in the house (walled up in a closet, the attic, or a chimney) have no basis in fact. Mary Clemmer Ames wrote about it: "It is an authenticated fact, that every night at the same hour, all the bells would ring at once. They built a large modern office behind the Octagon House and restored the building to its original splendor. Upstairs, a group of runaways from a local youth juvenile hall set up shop. The Octagon House. Whew! [30], For other buildings called Octagon House, see, The War of 1812 and temporary presidential residence. The Octagon was also home to some of the Tayloes family servants, upon whose shoulders much of the family wealth was built. The remains of gold leaf show in some of the relieved portions. The Octagon House, located in Washington D.C, United States of America is, despite its name, shaped like a hexagon. These dedicated women marched into the battlefields nearby to bring fallen soldiers medical attention, water and food.. Unfortunately, not much money was spent in maintaining this structure, and it became a slum-quality rental. It was built in 1993, making it one of the newer octagons on . I am 76 years old and have spent 40 years taking care of the house and I decided that I have done enough.. Residents and visitors alike have reported being touched by cold, unseen hands, and invisible forces pushing them down the stairs. South Macy Street turns into Linden Street, which runs south through to 12th Street, parallel to South Main Street. "[26], Museum superintendent Alric H. Clay claimed that in the 1960s spirits would often turn on the lights and open The Octagon's doors late at night. General Ramsay immediately arose from the table to investigate, but failed to unravel the mystery. A first-hand account was printed in a local newspaper, and this was subsequently quoted or paraphrased in articles printed in 1892, 1934, 1941, 1950, and 1969. Many of the stories of ghosts surrounding the property are associated with the Caldwell family, slaves, confederate, and union soldiers that stayed or lived or died there. The Octagon House also served as the backdrop for the US signing of the Treaty of Ghent by James Madison, which ultimately ended the war between the United States and Britain. Hartford Twain House, CT (The Twain family had to sell their forever home because of financial difficulties. For a complete list of the births and deaths of the Tayloe children, see the John Tayloe III page. An owner reports that a spinning wheel on display was found completely taken apart in just a moment. After that time it seems to have been seen exclusively by the maintenance men who work in the house late at night. It is one of two octagon homes in the city of Fond du lac. The old woman went back to her Virginia home sullenly remarking, Never mind, hell pay for dis. Soon after the clatter of the bells began and continued until the annoyance was so great that they were taken down. There are numerous reports of occurrences in the Octagon that were supposedly caused by the household ghost. Whaley House, CA (Spirits of Mr. and Mrs. Whaley are still comforting their distressed daughter; (suicide) and taking care of their toddler;(fever). Because of the extensive damage to the White House, James and Dolley Madison were offered the use of the Octagon House. The Octagon achieves a zenith in Federal architecture in the United States, through a plan which combines a circle, two rectangles, and a triangle, and through the elegance and restraint of the interior and exterior decoration. In 1900, the property became strictly a rental unit for tenants. Octagon Hall is one of the most haunted places in the South. "The Octagon," by George McCue (American Institute of Architects Foundation, Washington D.C., 1976) p.3-4,9,11,23,25,42,4445,47,6065,68. Great that they were taken down much of the Tayloe children began renting out the House which!, a group of runaways from a local youth juvenile hall set up shop as a miller by docents others! 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