About The Octagon Museum
Photograph by Robert C. Lautman.
The oldest museum in the United States devoted to
architecture and design, the Octagon Museum enables the
American Architectural Foundation to
increase public awareness of the power of architecture and its influence
on the quality of our lives. This building was designed by Dr. William
Thornton for Col. John Tayloe III, and was constructed between 1799
and 1801.
Learn more about The Octagon
Museum and about this historic building.
The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry
and the Architecture of Washington, DC
The Octagon, in partnership with the Grand Lodge of Free and
Accepted Masons of Washington, DC will be circulating the exhibition
The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry and the Architecture
of Washington, DC with Paintings by Peter Waddell. The exhibition
began its national tour at the George Washington Masonic Memorial
in Alexandria, VA and will continue to museums and sites nationwide
through 2009.
Through extensive research and in collaboration with an advisory
committee, artist Peter Waddell has created 21 extraordinary oil
paintings based on the architecture of our nation’s capital and
the role that our founding fathers and prominent citizens many of
whom were Freemasons, played in establishing the layout, design
and construction of the city. Through the paintings, the exhibition
portrays an unprecedented view into the world of Freemasonry, and
through historical events, activities, ceremonies, and special gatherings
carefully explains and demystifies Freemasonry for the public. The
paintings often depict objects associated with Freemasonry that
were carefully selected from local lodges to provide a context and
richness to illustrate the many historical collections related to
our nation’s heritage held in trust by the Freemasons.
The Initiated Eye Photo
Gallery
Structures of our Time: 31 Buildings That Changed Modern Life
Smith House, Darien, Connecticut. Richard
Meier & Partners, 2000 Award Recipient.
Photographs by Carol M. Highsmith.
The Octagon is pleased to announce the latest addition to its
national traveling exhibition program. Since 1969, The American
Institute of Architects has celebrated the enduring power of architecture
and good design through its annual 25-Year Award, honoring structures
that are 25 to 35 years old and widely recognized to be of special
significance and broad influence. To celebrate over three decades
of this important award, the Octagon, the museum of the American
Architectural Foundation is circulating a reproduction panel exhibition
that not only honors these great American buildings and their designers
but also explores the ability of architecture to affect the world
around it. Structures
of Our Time Photo Gallery
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The Octagon is in the final phase of a Save America’s Treasures grant involving extensive exterior restoration including replacement of the main roof, restoration of the unique coal vault and related archaeological testing, stone repair, and portico roof restoration. Tours of The Octagon have been temporarily suspended due to the nature of this work and related construction on the site. Watch for updates about the restoration as it progresses.
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