Octagon House
Also known as: Hawley House
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Why it's listed
Built around 1860 in Barrington, Illinois, this two-story octagonal house is framed and clad entirely in wood. A porch encircles it, with roof brackets carved on a foot-pedal jigsaw and finished by hand, and matching screens that hide the foundation. The builder, identified as Mr. Brown and said to have come from New England, fastened the structure with hand-forged nails and glue. Inside, the rooms are divided conventionally so no octagonal corner shows, and the leftover spaces serve as coat nooks and a stair closet. The design reflects two mid-nineteenth-century publications: Andrew Jackson Downing's 1850 book on country houses and Orson Fowler's 1853 book promoting octagonal homes. The nomination values the house for its uniqueness, noting that few octagonal buildings survive in the Midwest and fewer remain in such good shape. Two small rear additions did not disturb its readable eight-sided plan or its decorative scrollwork.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a rare, well-preserved octagonal building that combines the decorative cottage style popularized by Andrew Jackson Downing with the octagon plan promoted by Orson S. Fowler. Its carved, jigsawed woodwork is described as nearly impossible to find in structures built after 1900. It is also presented as an example of builder-made architecture drawn from pattern books, without an architect.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79000820, listed March 21, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 223 W. Main St., Barrington |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | March 21, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000820 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1860 |
| Architect / builder | Mr. Brown, builder |
| Architectural style | Octagon house form with Downing-influenced cottage-style decorative woodwork |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in good condition and occupied as a private residence. Two small additions were made at the rear, one before 1920 and one after 1951, and the nomination says they did not harm the house's integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Barrington Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.15395, -88.13902 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79000820.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7076708
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.