Feusier Octagon House

The Feusier Octagon House stands as a rare survivor of a peculiar architectural trend that swept the United States during the mid-nineteenth century. Built around 1857, its eight-sided design was inspired by the theories of Orson Squire Fowler, a New York phrenologist who believed that the shape of a home directly influenced the health and well-being of its occupants. Fowler argued that an octagon enclosure provided more living space with less material than a square house, while also allowing sunlight to enter every room at different times throughout the day.