Swansboro. Octagon house. The Hill-Jones house. Built about 1855. Located at 301 Masonic Avenue. Renovated around 1900, and again in 1950, and yet again in about 2004. To what extent is not clear. The house is apparently very substantially built, by Solomon White Davis, who was both a mariner and a planter, and is still basically in very sound condition. Like many houses of the 1850s time frame, the very finest hardwoods were easily available, inexpensive, and used for everything.

The original owners, the Hills, apparently owned a great deal of land in the Cedar Point area in the 1850s. Most recently owned by the Jones', the house and 60 acres of land have been donated to the Masons. The house is being renovated. It is not clear that this means restored. Characteristic of octagon houses in the Fowler period ( 1848 to 1865 ), there are usually no original floor plans or design documents.

Left click on the images below for larger versions.

The photograph at the left, top row, was probably taken in the 1950s. The one in the right, top row, shows the house before the most recent renovation.

Sources: R. Kline; "More About Octagons," Carl F. Schmidt; Dale Travis. Ellen Puerzer.
Entered: September, 2002.
Updated: March, 2003.
Updated: June, 2004.
Updated: December, 2006.
Updated: May, 2009.
Updated: July, 2009.

Topton. Octagon house. As of about 1975 it was being used as a store.
Source: R. Kline.
Entered: September, 2002.

Clyde. Octagon house. Built in about 1905. Also said to be located in the town of Lake Junaluska.
Source: R. Kline
Entered: September, 2002.

Bluff Point . Octagon lighthouse building. Built in 1891. Gull Shoal Light.

Source: Ron Livingston
Entered: March, 2002
Engelhard, in the Lake Landing Historic District. Octagon house. Sparrow House (also called the Ink Bottle house), built 1857 by Dr. William T. Sparrow. Said to be one of only two octagon houses built in North Carolina in the 19-th century.

1910 photograph.

Left click on the images below for larger versions.

Brief article.

Sources: R. Kline. Dale Travis and Mark Minasi provide a contemporary photographs.
Entered: June, 2001.
Updated: November, 2005.
Updated: June, 2010

Hot Springs Octagon house. Now used as a bed and breakfast.

Photograph.

Photograph.

Living room area.

Bedroom view.

Source: Sandy Semans.
Entered: June, 2001.
Updated: April, 2004.
Updated: July, 2007.

Rockwell The Harr-Hopkins octagon house. Built between 1903 and 1906 by a Rev. Harr, from Tennessee, who copied it from another house in the area. Razed in 1964.

Left click on the image below for a larger version.

Sources: R. Kline. Ellen Puerzer.
Entered: September, 2002.
Updated August, 2009

Albemarle Sound. Hexagon lighthouse building. Built in 1880. Laurel Point Light. The lighthouse database lists the structure as "destroyed."
Photograph and history.
Sources: Ron Livingston; Dale Travis.
Entered: March, 2002.
Updated: March, 2003.