President James Madison and his wife, Dolley moved into the Octagon on September 8, 1814 after the burning of the White House by the British. President Madison ratified the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, in the upstairs study at the Octagon on February 17, 1815. The Tayloes received $500 in rent for the Madisons' 6-month residency at the Octagon.