This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Watertown’s Other Octagon House
503 N Washington
WHS_PC_375
Located on a
portion of the land at the northeast
corner of North Washington and West Green streets in the old Fifth Ward,
the house was built by E. B. Quiner, publisher of Watertown newspapers from
1850-1855.
After Quiner’s
death the house was owned by a Mr. Baum[i]
and sometime later, probably around 1860, the residence was purchased by August
Neuman, who farmed most of the land between West Green and Elm streets.
Later the house was
owned by the John C. Calhoun family.
John’s father, Albert E. Calhoun, born in 1851, emigrated to Watertown
from Pennsylvania, and his mother, Mary Manston, was born in New York. Albert was employed as a railroad freight
agent.
John was employed
by the Village Blacksmith Company.
Mary Calhoun, known
as “Daisy,” was a sister of John and she was the last owner of this octagon
house. She was also a sister to Bill
Calhoun who was better known at “Tubby,” at least to his friends.
Daisy served on the
Board of Education. She eventually had
this octagon house torn down and had a “more modern” home built on the site.
Cross Reference:
Watertown’s famed
Octagon House
