Built 1858 Designated CP January 20, 1995 Area 4,047 m² Added to NRHP 4 December 1973 | NRHP Reference # 73000107 Opened 1858 Architectural style Octagon house | |
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Location High and Perham Sts., Farmington, Maine Part of Farmington Historic District (#94001551) Address High St, Farmington, ME 04938, USA Similar Titcomb Mountain, Ski Museum of Maine, Bay of Fundy | ||
The Hiram Ramsdell House, also known as the Octagon House, is an historic octagonal house located at High and Perham streets in Farmington, Maine. Built in 1858 by mason Cyrus Ramsdell, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 4, 1973.
Description and history
The Octagon House was based on Orson Squire Fowler's designs of octagon houses. Fowler thought that a round shape was conducive to better air circulation and socialization. The Hiram Ramsdell House has an eight-sided glass cupola over the central staircase. The first floor has five rooms around the core while there are seven bedrooms on the second floor.
Cyrus Ramsdell occupied the house for 10 years before he sold it to his brother Hiram Ramsdell who lived in the house until his death in 1903. The house became apartments in the 20th century and fell into disrepair. In 1912, Wilbert G. Mallett, principal of the Farmington Normal School, now the University of Maine at Farmington, bought the house.
On February 26, 2012, the owner of the house, Deborah Mallett Cressall, died, and her family offered the Farmington Historical Society the chance to buy the house at a steeply reduced price. The Farmington Historical Society was given until May 30, 2013, to buy the house and quickly began a capital campaign to raise $250,000 for the historic home's purchase. That money would also fund the renovations to the roof and drainage work. The Farmingham Historical Society acquired the house in May 2013.