The Octagon (Octagon House)

The Octagon House was built in 1799–1801 for planter and architect John Tayloe and is an early Federal-period stone house in downtown Washington. After the British burned the White House in 1814, President James Madison and his family used the Octagon as a temporary presidential residence for several months. The building now operates as the Octagon Museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.