Fowler's Folly, built during 1848–1853, was the octagonal home of

Orson S. 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 ...

in Fishkill,

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

. 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 boo ...

, ignited a fad for

octagon house Octagon houses were a unique house style briefly popular in the 1850s in the United States and Canada. They are characterised by an octagonal (eight-sided) plan, and often feature a flat roof and a veranda all round. Their unusual shape and ...

s in the United States and perhaps also in Canada.

References

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

See also

References