The Octagon House, Biddeford, 1953

Contributed by McArthur Public Library

The Octagon House, Biddeford, 1953

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Description

The Octagon House, 90 Hill Street, was built about 1850 by George Washington Pierson as the result of the teaching by the famous phrenologist, Orson Fowler, that an eight-sided house got more benefit from sunlight than a four-sided house. Fowler lectured in Biddeford in 1848 and several octagonal houses were built as a result of which only this one remains in Biddeford.

Orson Squire Fowler was the foremost proponent of phrenology in the United States when that pseudo-science was all the rage; he was the creator of the architectural design of octagon houses, a form which spread across the nation.

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About This Item

  • Title: The Octagon House, Biddeford, 1953
  • Creation Date: 1953
  • Subject Date: 1953
  • Location: Biddeford, York County, ME
  • Media: Photographic print
  • Dimensions: 11.4 cm x 8.9 cm
  • Local Code: 689b
  • Collection: General Image Collection
  • Object Type: Image

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For more information about this item, contact:

McArthur Public Library
PO Box 346, Biddeford, ME 04005
(207) 284-4181
Website

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. No Permission is required to use the low-resolution watermarked image for educational use, or as allowed by the applicable copyright. For all other uses, permission is required.

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