Check Out This Rare Collection Of Upstate NY Octagonal Houses!

There are some buildings you pass along the roadway that just demand you take a second look at.  A round barn for example.  Or an old mill still slowly turning along a forgotten creek.  What about those Sears Catalog mail-in houses that came in kits for you to build yourself?  How about a 100 year old general store, or a whole house made out of cobblestones?  Yes, these are head turners for sure.

And so are “octagon houses.”  These 8-sided structures were once all the rage, around 1850-1900.   They were quirky and built for common sense use of space and convenience.  At one time there were hundreds of these buildings around New York State.  Today there are between 75-100 left standing.  Some are still private residences, others are antique stores of even overnight inns and…