Octagon

1850 – 1870

While the Octagon style home was one of the more recognizable architectural forms, it was also one of the rarest with few examples that have survived to this day. The most common form of the Octagon house was an eight-sided structure with a low pitched and hipped roof, although round and other multi-sided forms existed. The eaves were usually wide and overhanging, with decorative brackets that would have been single or paired. A common Octagon stylistic detail was the use of a cupola and porches on the main level that ran around the entire length of the structure. Some examples of his style had Italianate, Exotic Revival, and decorative details from other architectural styles like paired Italianate style brackets at the eaves, Greek Revival columns on the porch, or an onion dome on the cupola.

One of the best Octagon style home in the Carolinas is in the Town of Laurens, S.C. The construction of octagon barns was also very popular and in the 1960’s architects began using the style for school construction and office use as an efficient use of traffic and moving students quickly. The Laurens High School remains one of these best school to study.