Fowler's Folly, built during 1848–1853, was the octagonal home of Orson S. Fowler in Fishkill,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. It was a "monumental" house for its time, with four stories and 60 rooms. an
''Accompanying 10 photos, exterior and interior''
The house was condemned as a public health hazard and dynamited in 1897.''The Octagon House'', Orson S Fowler: Introduction to the Dover Publications, Inc. 1973 reprint.

Orson Squire Fowler Orson Squire Fowler (October 11, 1809 – August 18, 1887) was an American phrenologist and lecturer. He also popularized the octagon house in the middle of the nineteenth century. Early life The son of Horace and Martha (Howe) Fowler, he ...

was author of a book, ''The Octagon House: A House for All'', that was first published in 1848. The book, frequently mischaracterized as a

pattern book A pattern book, or architectural pattern book, is a book of architectural designs, usually providing enough for non-architects to build structures that are copies or significant derivatives of major architect-designed works. A number of pattern bo ...

, ignited a fad for

octagon house Octagon houses are eight-sided houses that were popular in the United States and Canada mostly in the 1850s. They are characterized by an octagonal (eight-sided) Floor plan, plan and often feature a flat roof and a veranda that circles the hous ...

s in the United States and perhaps also in Canada.

References

{{coord missing, Hudson Valley Octagon houses in New York (state) Fishkill, New York Houses completed in 1853

See also

References