And during drilling into an upstairs wall, he hit a tin box. A variation of the legend from 1980 reduces the legend to a servant girl who had an unhappy affair with a military officer is said to have met death in the same way [suicide].. Inside the tin box found by the electrician was a time capsule left there by the McElroys almost 100 years before. In 1881 an exhibition to benefit the Washington Training School for Nurses was held in the vacant house. The unusual design was to ensure the building would present faces square onto both streets and take advantage of the dramatic corner for the entrance to the building. Another elaborate Octagon ghost story, with no clear origin, involves a female quadroon slave, who is identified as an octoroon in some of the variants. A Silicon Valley exodus is Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? On April 19, 1799 Dr. William Thornton wrote to George Washington, "Mr. J. Tayloe, of Virginia, has contracted to build a house in the City near the President's Square of $13,000 value." The three-story brick house, adapted to an irregular-shaped lot, displays a dramatic break with the traditional, late Georgian and early Federal house planning that preceded it. Ann Ogle Tayloe offered the residence as a place for the French Consulate. One of the requirements of the NRHP loan was to offer public viewing of the Octagon House; twelve hours a year. this also brought in a steady income to continue in the maintenance of this historic house. The octagon house trend was short-lived, and its not hard to see why. But the house is also filled with secrets. Items are moved and sometimes go missing. It was Washington himself that suggested that Thornton would be responsible for the architecture of the Tayloe home. Virginia Tayloe Lewis, a granddaughter of John Tayloe III, grew up in the house, and recorded this family memorate in an unpublished manuscript: "The bells rang for a long time after my Grandfather Tayloes death, and every one said that the house was haunted; the wires were cut and still they rang Our dining room servant would come upstairs to ask if anyone rang the bell, and no one had.". Both Marlene and her mother were pushed down the staircase on two separate occasions. Rise from the grave and help out some animals at t, Haunted Hotel for Sale in Wisconsin, Ghosts Included. The Octagon House still serves as the Lombardis' private residence, but it is open seasonally for guided tours. The first reported sighting of the Man in Black ghost was by a doctor who visited the Octagon on a house call. At the outset, he planned on building a home in Philadelphia since it was closer to Baltimore and other major places of personal interest to Tayloe. The Octagon was firmly established as a haunted house by 1888, when, it is reported, twelve men decided to spend a night in the house in order to expel the ghosts or prove the legends wrong. The house had to be rebuilt this time with wood walls before tenants could move back in. About this time the family left the home, and ever since it has virtually been unoccupied.". They occupied the building as their main office until it was named a national landmark in 1960. It isnt a case of believing, its a case of experiencing, Hansen told a news crew while speaking about her encounters in the house. A newspaper of the account included a reference to the legend of the bells. "The hours wore quietly on. Also, a kitchen, a basement, an attic, probably common rooms like a living and dining area; all have their place in the houses 2,420 sq feet on a double corner lot. John and Anne (Ogle) Tayloe were considering Philadelphia as a place to build a town house, since Baltimore and Philadelphia were the nearest metropolitan centers to Mount Airy. Ruth may be the culprit. This daughter, too, fell to her death down the stairs (or over the railing), and her shade is alleged to haunt the third floor landing and stairs between the second and third floors.[24]. Colonel John Tayloe III, for whom the house was built, was born at Mount Airy which he later inherited the colonial estate built by his father, John Tayloe II on the north bank of the Rappahannock River across from Tappahannock, Virginia. Another rumor is that Brown built the house as a fort in which he could hide in the event of an attack by the Native Americans dwelling in the untamed lands on the other side of the river. The Ghosts of Octagon Mansion || Wytheville, VA || Paranormal Quest 72,125 views Premiered Mar 26, 2020 2.4K Dislike Share Save Paranormal Quest 109K subscribers The Paranormal Quest Team. Recent variants of the quadroons legend have tended to be short, and are usually mentioned in relation to the (historically impossible) staircase legend. This spirit did change her mind). ", "Friends and reason ascribed it to the electricity while fable told the tale of an old white woman in Virginia who made a request of said Mr. Tayloe, which he refused. It was stated that every November 24th, a ghost could be heard falling down the steps to the first landing. These dedicated women marched into the battlefields nearby to bring fallen soldiers medical attention, water and food.. These legends are the most developed and circulated that visitors to the house who have heard the legends are thoroughly convinced that they are based on fact. During a visit from his friend, a captain in the English army, he conceived the idea that said captain was in love with the quadroon The host slew his guest in an upper room, with only the quadroon as witness. {"type":"HYBRID","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"auto","height":"350px","centre":{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":38.897613,"lon":-77.04125,"icon":""},"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":17,"layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","streetview","type"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[]}, The Staircases and Colonel Tayloe's Daughters, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [23] The first allegedly died before the War of 1812. One of the potential roadblocks in selling this historic American style architectural treasure besides its layout and style, is the fact that spirit people are still residing there as well. Unfortunately, Edmund was killed in the Civil WarBattle of Antietam. After the trial and acquittal she mysteriously disappeared, and was never again heard of.. The spirit of Ruth probably is keeping an eye on the tenants who now rent the house while Marlene is trying to sell it. The Octagon House is rumored to be home to several ghosts. That must of been very challenging indeed; even with the Captains money to help her). Mary Clemmer Ames wrote about it: "It is an authenticated fact, that every night at the same hour, all the bells would ring at once. The stories recorded here are merely a presentation of a few of the reported experiences and legends that have evolved over the past 200 years, and should not be taken as historical fact. Edward Thornton Tayloe, George Plater Tayloe and Henry Augustine Tayloe were all born at the Octagon. The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House is one of the most visually unique homes in the world. Here's how to claim a chunk of $725 million case, Taxes are due Tuesday in only 3 of 58 California counties, It can work: Plans for an SF-LA night train are underway, Bay Area city at risk of devastation when overdue earthquake hits, Thousands of unusual sea creatures wash up on Bay Area beaches, Horoscope for Tuesday, 4/18/23 by Christopher Renstrom, BLACKPINK's genius Coachella set turned me into a BLINK, Kings fans are playing with fire against the Warriors, Kings announcer vents misplaced outrage over TV promo, Authorities investigate video showing man harassing SF sea lions. A former secretary said that she heard what sounded like the rustling of silk skirts coming up the stairway. The knobs and shutter-buttons are of brass and evidently of a special pattern.[3]. At the time of her death her father had been dead for four years and she had been married to her husband, Robert Wormeley Carter II, for some time. Neither one of them were hurt. The Octagon House may not be one of the most recognized landmarks in Washington, D.C. PG&E agreed to sell them the home for $1 and the savings were much-needed by the NSCDA. The Historic 1856 Octagon House can be found in the city of Fond du Lac, near the corner of South Street and Linden Street. The Tayloe children would begin to rent out the house to various tenants soon after their mothers death. Also added to the basic 1856 structure was a wrap around porch that at some point was enclosed, perhaps to create more living space. The doctor was preparing to leave when he mustered up enough courage to ask Cyprus if there was a costume party going on that evening. The construction materials, such as bricks, timber, iron, and Aquia Creek sandstone were all manufactured locally. I regard Octagon House as being possessed by the spirit world, long time owner Marlene Hansen said in 1976. The Tayloes received $500 in rent for the Madisons' 6-month residency at the Octagon.[9][10]. A young lady on her wedding night is killed in a freak accident when he Creepy Tales from Old Alexandria, VA Alexandria, Virginia, has an exciting place in history, and especially when it comes to the ghosts that haunt every corner of this city, it seems. One of the many acute-angled intersections in the somewhat irregularly laid out capital. Aside from the Tayloe family residing in the home, many important residents have come and gone through the years. In 1911 Marian Gouverneur, the daughter-in-law of Maria Monroe Gouverneur who was one of the original proponents of the legend, wrote of the Octagon and the bells in her memoirs: I have been told by the daughters of General George D. Ramsay that upon one occasion their father was requested by Colonel John Tayloe to remain at the Octagon overnight, when we was obliged to be absent, as a protection to his daughters While the members of the family were at the evening meal, the bells in the house began to ring violently. List of the oldest buildings in Washington, D.C. "List of National Historic Landmarks by state", "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: The Octagon / Colonel John Tayloe House", "Old Landmarks at the Capital That Few Persons Know Anything About. She identifies the murderer, however, as one of the Tayloe boys, a young blood with his fathers passion for horses and a few passions of his own for gambling and wenching.. Both Marlene and her mother were pushed down the staircase on two separate occasions. Source: [http://dcmemorialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/OctagonHouse.jpg]. The current owner suggests that the Carriage House could also be a place for one or both aging parents to live; or becoming a suite for relatives or company. July 27, 1952: From the back of the photo: One of San Francisco's two [there are actually 3] octagonal houses, the McElroy house at 2648 Gough Street, equipped with triangular closets, a reticent ghost and memories dating back to 1864, will shortly be sold to the highest bidder. Edwin and his wife Ruth raised three children Louis, Edward, and Hattie there. The Octagon Hall Museum has been visited by over 500 different Paranormal Teams. September 17, 1951 article showed the damage that the Octagon House. Many of the stories of ghosts surrounding the property are associated with the Caldwell family, slaves, confederate, and union soldiers that stayed or lived or died there. It was easier to condemn it and repurpose the land for a better use. That was close! Some have heard deathly screams at night yet they were the only ones in the house at the time. She was noted for her social gifts, which boosted her husbands popularity as President. A spirit of a young boy still plays here as well, from one of the many families who lived here for roughly 168 years. The butler, in a state of great alarm, rushed into the dining-room and declared that it was the work of an unseen hand. A 1892 legend mentions an alleged clause in Col. Tayloes will that forbade his heirs from opening a certain closet: Mr. Located at 2548 Gough Street, between Union and Green Streets in San Francisco's Cow Hollow. The view of Cow Hollow in the 1870s. p. 78. In 1872, Dairyman Richard Morris lived there until 1887; only five years. Some believe Brown built these features to aid in the escape of runaway slaves on their journey north to freedom in Ontario. One night, nearly a dozen men were said to have spent the night here with the intent to scare off any of the spirits that may have occupied the house. This story is based on the actual finding of such a body in one of the odd wall closets that abound in the Octagon House. Of the Tayloes' seven daughters, only three died before the age of 30. Shadows are seen in rooms all over the house and property causing the moving cold spots as well as stationary ones. By 1889 the bell ringers had been given an identity: "The story goes, that the spirits of the slaves whom death released from their chains, visit the old home and announce their coming by the ringing of bells. Her tenants had to live around the antiques until Marleen could make the transformation of the Octagon House from museum to a private living space. Variants of these stories appeared again in newspapers in 1892 and 1908. She heard a distinct moan repeated twice and was so scared she took one bound across the dining room and ended up out in the stairhall. Others contend that the Underground Railroad didnt extend as far north as Fond du Lac, that slaves came to Wisconsin through places like the Milton House about 90 miles south, and then quickly departed from Racine, Kenosha, or Milwaukee. The building is an official site of the Haunted History Trail of New York. Octagon Hall (Also referred to as Octagon House, Mayfair Farm (s), Eight-Sided Mansion, Caldwell-Williams House) 6040 Bowling Green Road Franklin, KY 42134 Historic Timeline Mary Clemmer Ames wrote about it: "It is an authenticated fact, that every night at the same hour, all the bells would ring at once. The favour of an answer is requested. Its name comes not, as one might think, from the number of sides to the floorplan, but the number of angles in the building. The Octagon House is described as being An Extremely Unique Property; an Architectural Masterpiece! The houses mid-1800s American style layout may be a bit odd by modern standards, but the space is well-designed for a family in 1856 as well as families who lived here throughout the eras. The home needed extensive renovations. The spirits of parents may stay in this world to take care of their spirit child or children who has chosen to stay there. There must of been something in the water. Haunted Live S01E01 ~ Into the Fire, Octagon Hall. She freely appeared in front of Marlene Hanson, feeling very comfortable with this woman who was taking care of her forever home. The event is part of Travel Channel's third annual "Ghostober" programming event. There was a small storage space under the front porch that could be used as a hiding spot for family or anyone else needing to hide. "Now and then I hear tales of the ancient ghosts in the Octagon House. run across the door, being ingeniously cut some distance from the actual door, no key holes, hinges or openings showing on the blind side. I am 76 years old and have spent 40 years taking care of the house and I decided that I have done enough.. I do not believe that, the world ever has furnished a parelell [sic] to our progress as a City in the Same time, William wrote. She was murdered, through jealousy, by a young English naval officer whose ship was at anchor in Georgetown, not a suburb of Washington. Through one door, you went into the parlour. By the 1950s, property records were long lost and it was a city mystery as to who built an eight-sided home, among the rarest in America and just one of two left in San Francisco. From that time, the Octagon House became a rental. [29], There are numerous reports of occurrences in the Octagon that were supposedly caused by the household ghosts. It will take me a long, long time to move my things out, so they will have to live around me, Hansen said. Tom and I would love to buy it if we had the money to do so. The Chronicle wrote upon its discovery that McElroys letter was penned with pride, self-confidence and a disarming disregard for spelling and syntax. In it, he explained how they came to San Francisco and built their dream home. Inside this unique historical structure there are twelve rooms, and two full bathrooms; seven rooms on the ground floor, and four rooms upstairs. This stunning house is layered with history and spirits that cant seem to free themselves, so they haunt a time that is not their own, causing fear and shock over the years. When First Lady Dolley Madison fled the city as the British approached, she sent her pet parrot to the French consulate at the Octagon for safekeeping. This condemned home became endangered when plans for a new school were presented, and the authorities were eyeing this property with plans to tear it down if no one would buy it, despite being listed on the NRHP. The residents were probably mostly workers in the factories that populated Foggy Bottom. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. The building served as a hospital for Confederate soldiers and a target for the Union Army during the Civil War. The Coade stone, stoves, other decorative elements, and furniture were imported from England. In 1956 the legend of the ghost of the slave girl, also a suicide, supposed to run screaming through the garden was dispelled by the AIAs resident historian, a Mr. Saylor. There was plenty to see here; featuring a lot of antiques and items from the early days of the Brown family and their descendants. January 16, 1984: Interior of the Octagon House, aka the McElroy House, located on Gough Street, between Green and Union Streets in San Francisco's Cow Hollow. The children were all born between 1793 and 1815. When he looked over the bannister he saw a man in black walking through the stairhall. Witnesses have seen the spirit of the young boy going about his business in different parts of the house. TheMcElroyOctagon House in San Francisco was badly damaged by the 1906 earthquake and had to be rebuilt. By the 1880s, the house was occupied by 10 families, probably one living in each room, tenement-apartment-style. When Cyprus told him that there wasn't, the doctor looked perplexed and told him of encountering a man on the stairs just a few moments before who had been dressed in a military uniform of the early 1800s. The story as related is that the crazed lover committed suicide by leaping over the balustrade from the top landing, falling to the hard, stone floor below.. 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