The Octagon Museum

Also known as Colonel John Tayloe III house for the man who had the home built around the turn of the 18th century, the Octagon Museum remains today to share the history of this intriguing home with future generations.

Tayloe, whose birthplace was Mt. Airy plantation (a massive estate on the Rappahannock River, which he would eventually inherit), had set his sights on Philadelphia as the location for this home, but decided on Washington, D.C. at the urging of his fried George Washington.

The house was built on a triangular lot and was called “The Octagon” by the Tayloe family in spite of only having six sides.

During the War Of 1812, President James Madison and First Lady Dolley Madison took up temporary residence at The Octagon after the British army burned the White House in September 1814. President Madison formally sanctioned the Treaty of Ghent on February 17, 1815 in the study at the Octagon.

John Tayloe III died in 1828 and his wife Ann lived there until her passing in 1855. Their children rented the house to a series of government and private tenants until 1902. The American Institute of Architects purchased the house after a four year tenancy to establish their headquarters. The AIA operated out of the Octagon until the 1960s when they built a new headquarters.

The Octagon Museum opened in 1970 to serve as a historical center. In the 1990s, it was renovated to mimic its appearance from the time when the Tayloes took up residence (1817-18). It features exhibitions, public programming, and tours (both self-guided and scheduled).

It was initially intended as a winter home, but ended up being the primary dwelling for the Tayloe family from 1818-1855.