Capt. George Scott House facts for kids
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Capt. George Scott House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Federal St., Wiscasset, Maine |
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| Built | 1855 |
| Architectural style | Octagon Mode |
| Part of | Wiscasset Historic District (ID73000242) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000104 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1972 |
| Designated CP | January 12, 1973 |
The Capt. George Scott House, also known as the Octagon House, is a unique historic home in Wiscasset, Maine. Built in 1855, this special house stands out because of its eight-sided shape. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1972, recognizing its importance in American history.
Discovering the Octagon House
The Capt. George Scott House is located on Federal Street in Wiscasset. It has a great view of the Sheepscot River. This house is a two-and-a-half-story building made of brick with cool sandstone details.
What Makes it Special?
The main part of the house has an eight-sided roof. In the middle of the roof, there's a small, eight-sided tower called a cupola. The roof also has decorative edges. The front door faces the street and has a porch. This porch is supported by four square posts and has a matching decorative roof.
The windows are rectangular. The small windows on the top half-story have rounded corners. Inside, many original parts of the house are still there. You can even see pieces of an old dumbwaiter. This was like a small elevator used to bring food from the kitchen in the basement up to the dining room.
How the Octagon House Came to Be
The Capt. George Scott House was built in 1855. Its design was inspired by a man named Orson Squire Fowler. He really believed that octagon-shaped houses were better. He thought they got more sunlight and were easier to heat. His ideas led to a building trend in the 1850s and 1860s, where many octagon houses were built.
The house was built for George Scott. He was from Wiscasset and was a very successful ship's captain. Later, a children's book author named Edith Augusta Sawyer lived in the house.
