Jul 18, 1974
John S. Moffat House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The Moffat house is an example of the popular nineteenth-century fad of octagon houses. The house was constructed in 1855, during the peak popularity of the movement. While not derived directly from any pattern book, the house shares many characteristics with the Greenwood-Orre house of East Templeton, Massachusetts, and the Dr. Hake house of Ilion, New York, which were taken from Orson S. Fowler's popular publication on the octagon mode, A Home for All. Not surprisingly, this was one of the first houses in Hudson which, in the 1850's, was an outpost on the western frontier. In his book, Fowler suggested that a house should have a raised basement, a flat roof, a multitude of gadgets including water closets, speaking tubes, hot air systems, and hot water coils, and be constructed with concrete walls. His book recommended large rectangular rooms and oddly shaped triangular storage areas. The Moffat house followed these suggestions in its original plan, using water storage cisterns, a porch for lounging, and a cupola for viewing the countryside. Moffat deviated from the popular type with his pitched roof, only slightly raised basement, and clapboard siding. The house is indicative of the sort of economy, both practical and esthetic, which the popular fad represented. John S. Moffat arrived in Hudson from New York in 1854 and immediately became active in community affairs. After holding several civic offices and being admitted to the bar, he became a county judge in 1869. Octagon houses are important to Wisconsin's architectural history as they were extremely popular in the state. Some twenty such structures are known still to exist. Several of these followed Fowler's plan closely, and the Milton house, of Joseph Goodrich, was published in the revised edition of Fowler's book in 1853. The Moffat house is a well-preserved example of the popular, but short-lived architectural mode, and also indicates the distance which the mode reached in its short career.
John S. Moffat House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The Moffat house is an example of the popular nineteenth-century fad of octagon houses. The house was constructed in 1855, during the peak popularity of the movement. While not derived directly from any pattern book, the house shares many characteristics with the Greenwood-Orre house of East Templeton, Massachusetts, and the Dr. Hake house of Ilion, New York, which were taken from Orson S. Fowler's popular publication on the octagon mode, A Home for All. Not surprisingly, this was one of the first houses in Hudson which, in the 1850's, was an outpost on the western frontier. In his book, Fowler suggested that a house should have a raised basement, a flat roof, a multitude of gadgets including water closets, speaking tubes, hot air systems, and hot water coils, and be constructed with concrete walls. His book recommended large rectangular rooms and oddly shaped triangular storage areas. The Moffat house followed these suggestions in its original plan, using water storage cisterns, a porch for lounging, and a cupola for viewing the countryside. Moffat deviated from the popular type with his pitched roof, only slightly raised basement, and clapboard siding. The house is indicative of the sort of economy, both practical and esthetic, which the popular fad represented. John S. Moffat arrived in Hudson from New York in 1854 and immediately became active in community affairs. After holding several civic offices and being admitted to the bar, he became a county judge in 1869. Octagon houses are important to Wisconsin's architectural history as they were extremely popular in the state. Some twenty such structures are known still to exist. Several of these followed Fowler's plan closely, and the Milton house, of Joseph Goodrich, was published in the revised edition of Fowler's book in 1853. The Moffat house is a well-preserved example of the popular, but short-lived architectural mode, and also indicates the distance which the mode reached in its short career.
Jul 18, 1974
Posted Date
Mar 28, 2022
Historical Record Date
Jul 18, 1974
Source Name
United States Department of Interior - National Park Service
