The Octagon House - temporary presidential residence after 1814

The Octagon House at 1799 New York Avenue NW was used as the temporary presidential residence after British forces burned the White House during the War of 1812; President James Madison lived there while the President's House was repaired. Completed in 1801, the house now operates as the Octagon Museum and interprets early 19th-century Washington and the Madisons' occupancy. The building is also associated with early Washington city history and architectural preservation.