Circle, triangle, square...those may be a few shapes that come to mind right away. How many of you think of hexagon or a rhombus? Personally I love to say the word rhombus...it's kind of a funny word. Who doesn't love a good octagon once in a while? How about the beautiful architectural work of an octagon house? I would love to tour one of those and see the set up and structure. It would also be doubly fun if the octagon house was haunted. Lucky for us, there's a haunted octagon house in Washington D.C.
The Octagon House was built in 1799 as a winter home for John Tayloe III and his family. The house sits in the area of Foggy Bottom in Washington D.C. William Thornton, who also designed the US Capitol building, was commission to design the home. Even though it is called the Octagon House, it is actually a six-sided structure. For those who may be confused when I first mentioned "octagon", that is an eight-sided structure. Before anyone goes into 20 questions, I have no idea why it's actually called the Octagon House with only six sides.
John Tayloe III was a relative of George Washington and he inherited a lot of money from his own father, which he was able to increase on his own over time.
Even though the Octagon House was built as a winter residence, John and his wife and, Ann, ended up living there permanently from 1818 to 1855. Together they had 15 children, two who died in infancy. This is important to note once we get into the ghost stories.
John Tayloe III died in 1828 and Ann passed away in 1855, both died in the house. The adult Tayloe children then rented out the house shortly after their mother's death. The house served as a school and even used by the US government throughout the 1870s, but then was turned back into a private residence for families. In 1898 the American Institute of Architects purchase the house. They used the house as their main office until it was named a National landmark in 1960. They built a separate modern office behind the Octagon House and restored the home to its original beauty and made into a museum.
Obviously this is a very old and historic home...why wouldn't it be haunted? Who are the ghost? Two of the most popular stories involve two of the Tayloe daughters, claiming that they haunt the home...in particular the main oval staircase. The first story involves one of Tayloes daughters allegedly having an affair with a British soldier just before the War of 1812. According to the story, she was caught in the act by her own father and they had a confrontation on the oval staircase. During the argument, it is said that the daughter lost her balance and fell to her death. Supposedly she is seen walking up and down the staircase with a candle for lighting or seen falling from the top landing or she is seen crumpled at the bottom of the stairs. Personally, I would wet myself just seeing a ghost figure with a candle climbing up the stairs...not sure what my reaction would be if I actually saw someone falling from the stairs or I find them at the bottom of the stairs. That's a bit too much for me. The other daughter, who is also rumored to haunt the Octagon House, was said to have died after an argument with her father on the third floor landing of the staircase and falling over to her death.
If these stories were true, it makes me wonder how the family would have been able to stay in that house as long as they did. Would there be guilt? Would there be remorse? I think my mental health would've turned into scrambled eggs...whether or not an argument preceded the death of my children.
Research has not actually found reports of two adult daughters dying in the Octagon House. The Tayloes did lose two children when they were infants - Anne, born and died in 1800, and Lloyd, born 1815, died 1816. Very, very sad to lose children...but this information does not match the staircase hauntings in relation to adult daughters. Overall many people have reported the staircase as one of the main haunted locations in this house - many reports of cold spots and eerie feelings as you ascend or descend the staircase. Who is actually haunting the staircase may never truly be known.
What would a haunted house in Washington D.C. be without someone famous? Bring on Dolley Madison, wife of former president James Madison. They resided in the Octagon House between 1815 and 1816 after the White House was burnt down. Legend has it that Dolley Madison is known to be seen in the front hall and drawing room. People have heard the ghostly receptions/parties and disemodied chatting from the time Dolley lived in the home and they can smell lilacs which were associated with Dolly Madison. Who doesn't love a good party and lilacs are my favorite!
Back when the Tayloe family lived at the Octagon House, they did (unfortunately) have some slaves that used a bell system. Many people have reported hearing the bells ring and no one was near them. I'm not sure they are actually still in working order. Random bells ringing...especially if they no longer work...is such a creepy thing to experience. Are there still servants at the house still doing their daily chores? I would hope they passed on peacefully, but I could understand if they stayed somewhere they new the best. Many people have seen the hanging lamp in the main hallway swinging on its own... which sounds like a huge danger to me...ghost or no ghost. Lights have turned on and off when nobody's near them.
There's also a report of a ghost of a gambler who was supposedly shot to death during an argument in the Octagon House. There's also said to be the ghost of a murdered slave girl whose body was hidden within the walls of the house. I really hope that one is not true, but people claim to hear her pounding on the walls at all hours. Can't say I blame her! There's a report of a slave who allegedly committed suicide in one of the rooms. Do they continue to roam the house? That breaks my heart!
There's a report of an unidentified ghost that is the apparition of a person dressed in black clothing, a hat, and sometimes wearing a cloak (who doesn't love a good cloak?). This ghost is simply referred to as the "Man in Black"... zero points for originality. People describe this ghost as grim and imposing in appearance, but yet polite and tipping it's hat before it disappears. Perhaps manners stick with you on the other side??? No one knows who this ghost may be, but many maintenance workers have reported seeing this apparition very late at night.
Others have reported a presence of a young man in a US military uniform from the early 1800s. No one knows who he may have been, but he likes to hang around by the stairs. Obviously the staircase is the main hub of the house. Hopefully it's still a safe area, I'd hate for anyone to get hurt.
There's also a report of another ghost that will clean the place up and lock the doors at night. I guess I can't argue with someone who actually wants to clean. You love vacuuming? Have at it! You actually want to wash the dishes? Far be it for me to hold you back!
The Octagon House is currently a museum of the American Architectural Foundation. If you're ever in the Washington D.C. area and want to check it out, you can book a tour. Just be careful on the staircase!
--Audre
Photo by: OctagonHouse-Washington-DC
Sources:
dcghosts.com
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