Octagon House
Also known as: Watson-Steiger-Loomis House
Why it's listed
This octagonal house at 28 King Street in Westfield, Massachusetts, was built around 1861 for Joseph Watson. It has two stories of wood frame construction with clapboard siding, a low-pitched metal roof on paired carved brackets, and a central belvedere that echoes the shape of the house. Inside, a spiral staircase rises to the second floor and the cupola. A rear ell was added around 1870, and a Queen Anne style porch was added later. The house follows the octagon design promoted by Orson Squire Fowler in A Home for All, in the plainer form common in Massachusetts. It is the only one of three octagonal cottages once found in Westfield that still stands intact. The property is also tied to Albert Steiger, founder of the Steiger Department Stores, who lived there in the 1880s and 1890s. The Loomis family owned it from 1908 through the 1970s.
Significance in brief: The house is a fine example of the octagon style promoted by Orson Squire Fowler, in the less ornate form that evolved in Massachusetts. It is the only one of three octagonal cottages originally in Westfield that survives intact. It is also associated with Albert Steiger, founder of the Steiger Department Stores, who lived there in the 1880s-90s.
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 82004967, listed April 1, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 28 King St., Westfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | April 1, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004967 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Octagon style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and used as a private residence; a 1982 city letter says it shows significant decay. Alterations include a Queen Anne style porch and some replaced windows. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | Westfield Center Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.12158, -72.75480 (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 82004967.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7076717
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.