Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-13
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


ings Commission of the area west of
the White House and north of the new
Constitution avenue for the War-Navy
group OF buildings (although there is
determined opposition in Congress to
this site) has given rise to speculation
whether the famous old Octagon
House, owned and occupied by the
American Institute of Architects as its
national headquarters, would be torn
down, as so many other historic struc-
lures In the National Capital.
There is no present plan for con-
demnation Of this old building, so in
events in our history particularly that
the Treaty of Client was signed there
on February 10. 1915, by President
Madison In the circular room on the
second floor over the entrance, which
was the Presidents Office while he &C.
cupied that structure after the White
House had been burned by the British
in August, 1914.
The Octagon House Is a misnomer,
for it is not an octagon in shape 1t
Is built within an acute angle between
Eighteenth street and New York ave-
nue.. The ground plan may more &C
curately be said to consist of four
parts-two rectangles. a triangle and a
facing Eighteenth street and New York
avenue; the triangle connects them in
the rear and the circle is in the front
corner within the acute juncture of
the two STREETS The architect was Dr.
William Thornton, original architect of
the Capitol. 1t was built between 1898
and 1900. The owner was Col John
Tayloe, whose father founded one Of
Virginia's most noted estates, Mount
Airy He was a close friend Of George
Washington and 1t was at Washington's
suggestion that the colonel built his
Winter residence-of brick trimmed
City.
Although washington has as national
headquarters of the American Insti-
tute of Architects what is probably the
most famous Octagon House, 1t was
not the first or only house of such
construction either in the National
Capital or throughout the country
Among old examples OF this style of
architecture are cited the BaptiStry of
st. John in Florence, the Chapter
Houses of Westminster, York, Lincoln
and Salisbury in England, and the
choir built by Charlemagne for the
Cathedral Of Aix-la- Chappelle; the
Yorkshire, the design for which was
recommended by John Wesley.
The American flare for octagonal con-
struction, especially during the decade
from 1855 to 1865, is attributed to a
book on the subject by Orson Squire
Fowler, a famous phrenologist traveller
and lecturer Of his day, who graduated
from Amherst College in 1884 in the
class with Henry Ward Beecher.
Another octagon house in Washing
ton was on Georgia avenue in the Pet
worth section. built in 1856 for Ben
jamin Sunny, one Of the leaders of
company of IL families, called the
Erie Company. from Buffalo, who set
tied colony on 1877 acres of farm
Capital City. The style" of this
Sunny home was copied from an ear
ler octagonal house near Fort Myer,
Va. The octagon house on Georgia
avenue was the first concrete house in
Washington. 1t was surrounded by
piazzas on both floors and topped off
With large cupola. This house was
long occupied by Henry Conradis. a
noted German contractor who super
intended the erection Of the buildings
of Kendall Green. often called Gallau-
Diet College. the Columbia Institution
for the Deaf
The earlier octagon house in Virginia
vas built and owned by one Valorcus
G. Austin, whose son, Manville Austin
was later captain and for a time
acting major and superintendent of the
Metropolitan Police force of the Ma
tional Capital
A third we'll remembered octagon
house in Washington was in Phelps
place, at the end of Leroy place. It
was erected by William and Edward
Bebb, in 1865, on a tract of land that
touched on one side the famous Kalo-
rama tract and on the other side Rock
Creek. 1t was long occupied as a resi-
dence by Leroy r. Tuttle. Assistant
Treasurer of the United States while
Gen. Francis E. Spinner was Treasurer
The tract was part of royal grant to
the Holmeads by Charles II. In later
years the house was occupied BY Arthur
Hale, son of the famous Massachusetts
preacher, Dr. Edward Everett Hale.
In Hyattsville, Md. a nearby suburb
of the Capital City. there was also an
octagon house, at one time occupied as
a school for young ladies, taught by
Miss Mary Ann Keech and her sisters.
1t was built by Henry T. Scott. a drug
gist, OF Bladensburg, about 1853.
x * 4
How much pop is there in popcorn3
What is the packing limit of a grain
of corn? Ask your Uncle Sam. who
has number of scientists making an
interesting study of this point.
These popcorn specialists have sur
passed the record of two blades of
grass for one. Through selection they
have produced new strain of corn
which pops to IS times its volume.
This new strain is yellow pearl pop
corn. which they have named sun
burst" 1t took seven years to pro-
duce it, so you see Uncle Sam is
year in and year out working up nice
little surprises to make your evenings
happy around the open hearth or over
the more modern equivalent of an
electric stove. Each sample tested at
the various stages of this seven-year
experiment was examined also for
flavor and texture, as well as for pop
ping volume
Secretary Hyde tells us that the long
effort was worth while, because it hiss
resulted in better popcorn. which
has been recommended to commercial
growers.