The Octagon House is OPEN for tours.  Regular hours for self-guided tours are from 1pm to 3pm the first and third Sundays of each month March through October.  The House will be open for Christmas tours the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend and every Sunday following until Christmas from 1-3 pm.  For guided tours please call the Newstead Historical Society Office at 542-7022.

The Rich-Twinn Octagon House is a late Greek Revival style dwelling designed in the Octagon mode. It is located at 145 Main Street in the quaint village of Akron, N.Y. Click here for a map.

It is a rare and extremely early surviving example of the Octagon mode in Western N.Y. It is the only original example of its type in Erie County. The Octagon was popularized by Orson Squire Fowler, a phrenologist, during the mid nineteenth century. He advocated that if one lived in an Octagon House, he would be a healthier person. Octagon Houses were more commonly found in the Hudson Valley, Mohawk Valley and central regions of the state. This dwelling is one of the most distinguished examples of nineteenth century architecture in Akron. It was built by Charles B. Rich, one of Akron's foremost nineteenth century citizens.

Rich was a New York State Indian Agent and a grain merchant. He also owned an Ashery Mill. Late in the 1840's he married for the fourth time and took his bride on a packet boat trip on the Erie Canal to New York City. The Rich's were said to have admired an Octagon House (presumably Fowler's) in the Hudson Valley and upon return to Akron, proceeded to erect a similar type of residence. The Rich's Octagon is an early example of the trend of Octagons. It is particularly noteworthy for its early employment of the Italianate Style of architecture, which did not become widespread in Western New York until the 1860's.

The Rich's occupied the house until his death in 1870 and was then purchased and occupied by Charles A. Clark until 1882. William Gillings and his wife purchased the house and occupied it until 1938. At that time it was then purchased by Clark J. Twinn, a relative of the second owner. Twinn's wife lived in the house until 1981 when the Newstead Historical Society acquired it.

The Newstead Historical Society has meticulously restored the Octagon House, according to the Secretary of the Interiors Standard for Rehabilitation. The Society received the high and prestigious honor of having The Rich-Twinn Octagon House listed on the "National Register of Historic Places". The house serves as a museum and is open to the public on a regular basis.

The residents of the Town of Newstead and Village of Akron are proud of the Rich-Twinn Octagon House, which now has had thousands of visitors interested in its unusual and unique architecture.

Click here for a sneak peak inside the house!