Do You Know the Mysterious History of Wisconsin's Unique Octagon

The unique shape of the Octagon House in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what makes it so fascinating.

Wisconsin's Octagon Houses

Before we get to the specific history of the Octagon House, I should probably tell you that there are actually TWO famous octagon-shaped homes in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

One is called the Wallace-Jagdfeld Octagon House and is located at 171 Forest Avenue...

Google Street View

The other one is simply called the Octagon House and it is located at 276 Linden Street...

Google Street View

Both of these homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but only one of them is linked to the Underground Railroad and is often called one of the most haunted houses in Wisconsin.

The Mysterious Past of the Octagon House

According to Wikipedia;

Isaac Brown, a carpenter and trader with Native Americans, reportedly grew fearful of attacks from them in 1856, so he built a house that was designed for hiding. An Orson Fowler-designed eight-sided structure, it contained nine secret passageways and spaces.^[2]
A tunnel was built between the house and a woodshed, which some have claimed used as a safe house on the Underground Railway.^[2]^[3] A small storage room beneath the front porch was supposedly used to hide the runaway slaves.^[4] This local lore has been disputed by historians.^[5]

Legend also says the Octagon House's tunnels were used for bootlegging during Prohibition, because Fond du Lac, Wisconsin was a favored place for famous gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran to operate out of.

The Octagon House Ghosts

Of all the stories that surround the Octagon House, the family of ghosts that are rumored to have been living there for over 150 years is what gains the most attention.

Here's a video I found from 10 years ago explaining some of the paranormal things that happen in Fond du Lac's Octagon House...

The Octagon House is still privately owned today, so unfortunately, it is not open for the public to explore and experience themselves. Check out this Wisconsin Frights article for more mysteries surrounding the Octagon House...if you dare.