Welcome to the Octagon House, a remarkable piece of architectural history right here in Alabama. This unique structure was built in 1861 by Benjamin Franklin Petty, a local businessman who embraced the octagonal design popularized by Orson Squire Fowler. Fowler’s designs advocated for octagonal homes due to their efficient use of space and natural light. The Octagon House in Clayton, Alabama, is notable not just for its shape but also for its historical significance, having survived through the American Civil War.
During the war, the house served as headquarters for Union Major General Benjamin H. Grierson in April 1865. The house’s distinctive eight-sided design, coupled with its concrete walls, a technique promoted by Fowler, made it a sturdy and resilient structure. This method involved creating thick, solid walls using a mixture of sand, gravel, and water, which set like cement.
Over the years, the Octagon House has been home to several notable residents, including Claudia Waddell Roberts, an author who set one of her short stories, ‘The Rusty Key,’ in the home’s basement. This story was part of a collection that won the May Harris short story contest in 1938.
The house is a testament to a unique architectural trend that was once widespread across the United States. Although the octagon house craze dwindled after the 1860s, the Octagon House stands as a rare surviving example of this architectural style in Alabama. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, allowing visitors to explore its fascinating history by appointment.
