Detail of the Octagon House Parlor Mantel

This is a photograph of the first-floor parlor mantel with moldings of an urn and classical swags in the Octagon House. Bruce White took this photograph for the White House Historical Association on April 11, 2012.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 burning of the White House during the War of 1812, the Octagon 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.