Wallkill Valley Times , Wednesday , January 11 , 2017 3
Walden house has 8 sides and lots of history
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The Octagon House at 8 Maple Street in Walden is now in foreclosure .
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By JESSICA COHEN jcohen @ tcnewspapers . com
An octagonal Walden building with an architectural history that harks back to 19th Century health trends , séances , and celebrities , stands vacant and in foreclosure at 8 Maple Street these days . Walden historian Mary Ellen Matise traces the lot ’ s occupancy to 1859 , when Alexander Kidd , a carpenter , and his wife , Mary , lived in whatever structure was there , after buying it from David Parshall . Later in the 1800 ’ s , descriptions indicated the house was octagonal , she says , as they mentioned the house was made of grout , distinct from the wood houses that surrounded it .
The Kidds had a “ populous ” family , interested in education , and they started an “ academy ,” says Matise . “ They would send out pamphlets inviting people to discuss various topics .
Maybe they talked about Orson Squire Fowler , who had an octagon house in Fishkill and may have influenced the Kidds to build theirs , she said .
Another historian , Brian Altonen , of Fishkill , identifies the 1850 ’ s as a time when octagonal houses became popular . In addition to numerological associations with the number eight , its multiple sides were thought to admit more sun and thus keep the house cleaner , enclose space more efficiently than squares , and to be cooler in summer , warmer in winter .
Plus , said Altonen , “ Eight split the important four in halves .”
At the time , theories abounded about the four bodily humors , four temperaments , four colors , and four elements , he noted .
Altonen has explored the history of the octagonal house built in a woodsy setting in Wappinger ’ s Falls by Orson Squire Fowler , the popularizer of octagon houses . Mark Twain and Arthur Conan Doyle visited him there , as would other authors , musicians , artists , and poets , says Altonen . The house had a porch on each side and was topped by a small tower , a “ widow ’ s peak .” Rhubarb grew lushly around it , says Altonen . “
Fowler also disseminated the theory of phrenology , which identified a person ’ s personality and career path , including criminal ones , by bumps on the skull . He sold many books on the topic . And he promoted the “ galvanic theory of health ,” which promoted wearing copper and brass as conducive to good health , Altonen noted .
“ The octagon house was associated with the progressive medical movement ,” along with women ’ s rights and the movement toward women becoming doctors and healing their own bodies , Altonen said .
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