AIA|DC Tour: The Octagon

The Octagon is a museum, art gallery, and showcase for American architecture, focusing on the importance of design, conservation and restoration of historic buildings. Completed in 1801 for the Tayloe family, and designed by William Thornton, the original architect of the U.S. Capitol, the Octagon was one of the first great homes built in the new nation’s capital. A short block from the White House, the house is one of the most significant and elegant buildings to remain standing from the early federal city. 

When the British burned the White House in 1814, President and Mrs. Madison moved into the Octagon -- one of the most beautiful homes in Washington, D.C. It was in the upstairs parlor that President Madison signed the Treaty of Ghent on February 17, 1815, establishing peace with Great Britain and ending the War of 1812. 

In 1899, the American Institute of Architects chose the severely deteriorated building as its new national headquarters, initiating a series of state-of-the-art restorations, the most recent made possible by a Save America’s Treasure’s grant. Today, two centuries later, the Octagon continues to serve as a reminder of the great beauty of early American design and the lasting value of architectural excellence.

After attending this tour, participants will be able to:
1.) describe why the Octagon is considered a National historic treasure;
2.) recall the original designer—William Thornton, the first Architect of the Capitol—and the reason this elegant home was built in the early federal city;
3.) recall that this was the building originally chosen by the relatively new Architectural organization—the AIA—for its headquarters in 1899, and describe how the organization continues to use the building today; 
4.) describe the various state-of-the-art restorations done to the building over time, and most recently, to bring it into the 21st century. 

Presented by Ronda Bernstein, AIA Legacy, Inc.