{"nrhp_refnum":"69000049","name":"Octagon House","other_names":["May's Folly"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"527 1st Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Columbus","county":"Muscogee County","state":"GA","lat":32.455972734000056,"lon":-84.99354408899995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1969-07-29","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1973-11-07","areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A neo-Gothic double octagon house at 527 First Avenue in Columbus, Georgia, known as May's Folly. The original rectangular frame cottage dates to 1829-1830, with an octagonal front addition made about 1863 by Leander May.","why_significant":"The nomination describes it as the only known, fully realized double octagon house in Georgia and perhaps the United States. It is a major example of the octagon-house fad listed in Clay Lancaster's Architectural Follies in America. It is also tied to Senator and Confederate General Alfred Iverson, an early resident.","narrative":"Built in 1829-1830 as a simple rectangular frame cottage in Columbus, Georgia, this house was transformed about 1863 when cabinet maker Leander May added an eight-sided front section around a central chimney. Triangular spaces between the rooms serve as closets and vestibules. Gothic touches include clustered colonettes, an iron-trimmed front porch and a Tudor-style arched doorway. During restoration in the late 1960s, builders found that the rear portion had also once been octagonal, making the house a double octagon, which the nomination calls the only known fully realized example in Georgia and perhaps the United States. It reflects the octagon-house fashion promoted by Orson Fowler's 1848 book and described in Clay Lancaster's study of American architectural follies. Alfred Iverson, later a U.S. Senator and Confederate general, lived here as a young lawyer after his 1831 marriage. The Historic Columbus Foundation bought the house in 1967 as its first acquisition. It remains a private residence.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Leander May, cabinet maker (octagonal addition)","architectural_style":"Neo-Gothic (octagon house)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Used as a private residence and listed in excellent condition. A fire in December 1968 damaged the interior and roof, and restoration was under way.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:41.054357-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_GA/69000049_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000049/48d9a4bffc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000049/48d9a4bffc-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Unknown authorUnknown author","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:May%27s_Folly,_527_First_Avenue_(Columbus,_Georgia).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown authorUnknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:May%27s_Folly,_527_First_Avenue_(Columbus,_Georgia).jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"69000045","name":"Columbus Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/georgia/columbus-historic-district-69000045/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93206791","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octagon_House_(Columbus,_Georgia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7076709"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/georgia/muscogee-county/octagon-house-69000049/"}