1858. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
181 
Design for an Octagon House. 
Messrs. Editors —You will here find a design foi 
an octagon dwelling, which it is believed is both con 
venient and pleasant. A building of this description 
can be built of substantial groute or concrete —that 
shall be perfectly durable—for a cost of from fifteen 
hundred to two thousand dollars, according to the 
amount of finish that may be put upon it, at the cost 
of material at different locations. 
First Floor—20 Feet Sides, outside wall. 
By a moment’s inspection of this plan, it will be seen 
that all the rooms are entered from the hall and pas¬ 
sage, without passing through any other room, while 
the stairs also are ascended without opening into any 
of the rooms. And it will also be seen that the rooms 
are large and light to correspond to their uses, while 
the work rooms and entrances open to the warm and 
sunny directions, which, for comfort, should always be 
the case, where the location will admit of it. There is 
a long, well lighted dining-room, an ample kitchen 
and work-room, properly detached from the other 
rooms to prevent the passage of unpleasant odors, and 
yet very near to save unnecessary steps; a pleasant 
family room on one side of the front hall, with the li¬ 
brary or office opposite; a good meal-room, most secure 
from rats by being central; and convenient access to 
the cellar under the main stairs, marked c s. Then 
the triangular corners come into excellent use, accord¬ 
ing as the different occupants may chose, for bath, clo¬ 
set, pantry, or even for bedrooms, being amply large 
for a single bed. And in building for myself I should 
always have at least two open fire-places in the house 
—one in the family-room and one in the sitting room— 
on account of healthfulness and pleasant appearance. 
In this plan, the office and hall can be warmed by a 
small stove in the former, with the pipe passing through 
the latter into the chimney of the family room. It will 
be seen there is a convenient wash sink in the back 
entry, marked s, while the kitchen is large enough to 
admit of stationary oven and range if desired, between 
the two windows. In fact, the main plan will admit of 
many changes in the minor details, to suit the variety 
of tastes or purposes for which it may be occupied. 
And now we will ascend the stairs and look at the 
upper story; here we find a beautiful parlor, and back 
SECOND STORY. 
of it is a large and pleasant amusement-room, where 
a very large company of family friends or others, may 
enjoy themselves on festive occasions, as shall suit the 
inclinations—and it would be better for both the health 
and happiness of our farming communities, if they 
would calculate upon and indulge more cordially in ra¬ 
tional and innocent amusements, than they (many of 
them,) do. Here is also a large dry store-room, a cabi¬ 
net or study-room for the youth, and four good bed¬ 
rooms, with closets; still this upper story will admit of 
diversity of sub-divisions, to meet any required pur¬ 
pose ; but in the present instance, I have left the upper 
partitions to correspond with the walls below, which, in 
my judgment, renders the whole a very convenient and 
symmetrical residence, with no waste room, and no 
more room in any particular apartment than is needed, 
at the expense of curtailing any other apartment. 
None of the main rooms have less than two windows, 
nor more than one side exposed to the weather, while 
the whole can be admirably well ventilated —always 
needed. 
The upper hall and passage can be well lighted by 
sky lights, while the lower passage can be pleasantly 
lighted by glazed doors opening into the hall or dining 
room. If you are willing to incur the expense of en¬ 
graving it, I will send you an elevation, as I have de¬ 
signed it, of this house, for my own adoption. 
I am not a builder or draftsman, but a farmer, yet 
I have often amused myself many hours, by studying 
and designing rural architecture—believing there is 
great need of reform in the farm-buildings of our coun¬ 
try ; and there is no doubt but the expense which far¬ 
mers already lay out in buildings, if directed by taste 
and care, would supply them with far handsomer and 
more commodious buildings than they now possess. At 
another time, if desired, I will send you a plan which 
I have matured, for an octagon barn , which it is be¬ 
lieved possesses advantages that recommend it, or 
something like it, to more frequent adoption. D. S. 
Curtis. Madison , Wis. 
P. S. For those who wish it, or need it, I have drawn 
this same plan on a smaller scale—15 feet to the sides 
—and it is then very convenient and pleasant, although 
the rooms will be correspondingly smaller, but still 
large enough to be more commodious than many of the 
much larger ones, built after the fashion of the gene¬ 
rally uncouth farm-houses which are seen in all parts 
of the country, d. s. c. 
