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	Col. John Tayloe III (1771-1828), St. Mémin (The Octagon, AAF)

The History of The Octagon

When Col. John Tayloe III purchased the site of his future home, 18th Street and New York Avenue existed only on paper and the Potomac flowed to within two blocks of the property. Just to the east, the President's house was being built. Yet another important building, in conjunction with the White House, was needed to help establish the Pierre L'Enfant plan for the city to show faith in the future development of the nation's capital.

The Octagon, designed by Dr. William Thornton, first architect of the U.S. Capitol, was the first house to be completed in the area. It established a residential presence where none had existed before. Its construction between 1799 and 1801 formalized a plan of streets, avenues, and parks and insured their development. For Washington's planners, the Octagon was a seminal presence. For John Tayloe, as an entrepreneur with political aspirations, being close to the center of government was a powerful incentive to invest in this still undeveloped location.

The Octagon was the Tayloes'  winter home until 1817, at which time they established year-round residency. Here the Tayloes raised their family of 15 children and were prominent in business, government, and social circles. During the War of 1812, the Octagon served as a temporary residence for James and Dolley Madison after the White House (then known as the President's House) was burned in 1814. In the Octagon's second-floor  parlor on February 17, 1815, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, ending the war with Great Britain.

After John Tayloe's death in 1828, his wife, Ann Ogle Tayloe, lived in the Octagon until her death in 1855. The family then rented it out for almost 50 years. First a girls' school operated in the Octagon, and later the Navy Hydrographic Office was housed here. Toward the end of the 19th century, the house became a tenement packed with renters.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) saved the building from further decay by leasing it from the Tayloes in 1897, purchasing it in 1902, and restoring the Octagon several times during the period it served as the AIA headquarters. During its years in the Octagon, the AIA played a prominent role in shaping the growth of the nation's capital. The McMillan Commission Plan, which cleared the Mall, established a site for the Lincoln Memorial, and created the park plan for the city, was born in the rooms of the Octagon, as were the US Commission of Fine Arts, the American Federation of Arts, and the Historic American Buildings Survey. The OSS, parent of the CIA, was housed on the site during World War II, and the fledgling National Trust for Historic Preservation became an occupant just after the war.

In 1968, the American Architectural Foundation (AAF), which was founded in 1942, purchased the Octagon from the AIA and opened it to the public in 1970. As the oldest museum in the United States devoted to architecture and design, this National Historic Landmark enables the AAF to increase public awareness of the power of architecture and its influence on the quality of our lives. The Octagon's tours and related programs promote responsible stewardship of our architectural heritage and draw on the lessons learned from the recently completed restoration (1990-1995). The Octagon has an active schedule of changing exhibitions, publications, tours, lectures, and programs for both children and adults.