John S. Moffat House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
The Octagon House Museum
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Wisconsin
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 1004 3rd Street, Hudson, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Built | 1855 |
| Architect | Andrews Brothers |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Octagon Mode |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000124 |
| Added to NRHP | July 18, 1974 |
The Octagon House Museum is a super cool, eight-sided house in Hudson, Wisconsin. It's also known as the John Moffat House. This unique home was built way back in 1855 and is now a museum where you can see what life was like in the mid-1800s!
Contents
Discovering the Octagon House Museum
A Unique Eight-Sided Home
The Octagon House Museum is special because of its shape. It's an octagonal house, meaning it has eight sides, like a stop sign! This style was popular for a short time in the 1800s. People thought these homes were brighter and easier to heat. The house is covered in stucco, a type of plaster.
Who Lived in This House?
The house was built in 1855 by John Moffatt and his wife, Nancy Bennet. They moved to Hudson from New York the year before. Their ten-year-old daughter came with them.
The Moffatts' Journey West
Traveling in the 1800s was an adventure! The Moffatts first took a train to Galena, Illinois. From there, they boarded a steamboat that took them up the river to Prescott, Wisconsin. Finally, they traveled by horse and wagon north to Hudson.
Hudson was a busy town back then. It was located on the Saint Croix River and was known for its lumber and flour mills. Nancy Moffatt even had two sisters already living in Hudson when they arrived!
John Moffatt's Career
John Moffatt was an important person in the community. When he first arrived, he worked for the United States General Land Office. This office helped manage land in new areas. Later, he became a lawyer. In 1869, he was elected a judge for Saint Croix County.
From Family Home to Museum
The Octagon House is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a special historical site in the United States.
Today, the house is owned and cared for by the Hudson Area History Connection. They bought the home in 1964. Now, it's the Octagon House Museum, a historic house museum. This means it's set up to look just like it did in the mid-1800s, filled with furniture and items from that time. It's a great place to learn about history!
