Main Staircase in the Octagon House

This photograph of the main staircase in the Octagon House was taken by Bruce White for the White House Historical Association on January 29, 2014. The original architect of the U.S. Capitol William Thornton designed the unusual but aptly named Octagon House in 1800 for plantation owner Colonel John Tayloe III. After the War of 1812, the house became the temporary Executive Mansion for President James Madison and his wife, First Lady Dolley Madison. The house remained a fashionable salon for Washingtons elite after the Madisons residency. It now houses the American Institute of Architects Foundation.