Octagon Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Octagon Hall
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 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Franklin, Kentucky |
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| Area | 1.8 acres (0.73 ha) |
| Built | 1862 |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001667 |
| Added to NRHP | April 10, 1980 |
Octagon Hall is a very special house in Simpson County, Kentucky. It is near the town of Franklin, Kentucky. What makes it unique is its shape: it has eight sides! The house was finished around 1860.
Because of its history and unique design, Octagon Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is also known as the Andrew Jackson Caldwell House, named after the person who built it. On the property, there is also a separate building that was once a summer kitchen.
Contents
A House with Eight Sides
Octagon Hall is a two-story house made of red bricks. It also has a tall basement. Its eight-sided shape was a popular idea in the 1850s. This style was inspired by a book written in 1848 by Orson Squire Fowler. The book was called The Octagon House: A Home for All.
This unique design was not very common. Octagon Hall is one of only two eight-sided buildings still standing in Kentucky today.
The Story of Octagon Hall
Building a Dream Home
In 1847, a man named Andrew Jackson Caldwell started planning his family's new home. He wanted it to be very different. By 1860, Mr. Caldwell, his wife Harriet, and their children Frances, Mary, Martha, and Henry were living in the finished house.
A Place During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, Octagon Hall played an important role. It was used as a hospital for soldiers from both sides, the Confederate and Union armies. It also served as a secret hiding place for Confederate soldiers who were trying to avoid the Union army.
New Owners and a Museum
After Andrew Caldwell passed away in 1866, his wife Harriet continued to live in the house. Later, in 1916, the property was sold to a doctor from Nashville named Miles Williams.
In 2001, the Octagon Hall Foundation bought the property. Today, it is a non-profit museum and a popular local attraction. The museum is called the Octagon Hall Museum & Kentucky Confederate Studies Archive.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has many interesting things to explore. It includes a library and displays of artifacts from the Civil War. You can also see Native American artifacts. For those interested in family history, there are materials for research. Outside, visitors can see a historic garden and a cemetery where enslaved people were buried.
