VICTORIAN HOUSE TOUR | Armour-Stiner Octagon House Near Sleepy Hollow, NY

This Victorian is the only known fully domed octagonal house in the world. And just wait until you see what's inside. Located in Irvington, New York, just outside of Sleepy Hollow, the Armour Steiner Octagon House is truly a Victorian gem. This incredible home came dangerously close to being lost forever, but today its beautifully restored interiors still contain original furnishings from 1876. There's also some fascinating family history layered between these walls, including one of a former owner who's actually buried in the famous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Today, we're stepping inside the Armour Steiner Octagon House to explore its beautifully preserved and restored interiors, learning about the people who lived here, and uncover the history behind one of the most unusually beautiful homes in America. Hi, I'm Ali, and welcome back to Fab Little Dish, where we celebrate vintage homes, historic interiors, and the stories that keep these places alive. If you love historic house tours, Make sure to give this video a big thumbs up and make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on all of the incredible house tours I'm bringing your way from all over the country. Now let's head to upstate New York and explore this piece of architectural history together. The history of this house begins in 1858 when a wealthy Manhattan banker named Paul J. Armour Purchase the property. By 1860, he had built a two-story octagonal house here, where he lived with his second wife, Rebecca, five of his ten children, and two servants. At that time, the house looked quite different from what we're seeing today. It was a much simpler two-story octagonal home with a flat roof. Paul died in 1866, and six years later, his widow Rebecca sold the property for $27,000 to a successful New York City tea merchant named Joseph Steiner. Joseph was born in Hungary in 1827 and immigrated to the United States in 1852. He established a business selling tea, coffee, spices, and other imported goods in New York City and became incredibly successful, and at one point his company operated 76 stores throughout New York City and Brooklyn. His obituary even described him as having once been the largest retail tea dealer in the world. Joseph was also an avid art collector who traveled extensively, and after purchasing the octagonal house in 1872, he completely transformed the property into the incredible Victorian home we see today. He and his wife Hannah had six children, and the family used the property as their summer and weekend retreat away from the city. Joseph was also a breeder of horses and dogs, and he had a prize-winning white English terrier named Prince. Joseph loved Prince so much that he actually had his dog's face incorporated into the cast-iron railings surrounding the veranda. Joseph would eventually experience some financial difficulties though. In 1878 a real estate investment group he was involved in reportedly lost I lost $135,000. $135,000 at the time, and just three years later his wife Hannah died. In 1882, Joseph sold the octagon house for $22,250, which was actually less than what he had originally paid for the property 10 years earlier, despite all of the elaborate renovations he had also made. The next owner was a woman named Susie Dibble, who purchased the home in 1882. Susie was married to George Dibble. By that time, New York's Married Women's Property Acts allowed married women to own property independently of their husbands. That was a significant change from earlier in the century. Not sure why she purchased it herself, but George apparently didn't have an occupation. According to an 1880s census, George's business was listed as no business, so Susie might have purchased it because she simply had the means to do so. The couple had one daughter, Mabel, who grew up here and the Dibbles lived here year round. But in 1897, Susie died from tuberculosis at just 43 years old. Two years later George remarried and interestingly enough his second wife was actually Susie's younger sister Annie. And the family experienced another tragedy in 1902 when Susie and George's only daughter Mabel passed away from heart failure at just 24 years old, only six weeks after giving birth to her second daughter. And there's a fascinating connection between this family and Sleepy Hollow that I wanted to point out. George, Susie, and Annie are all commemorated together at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where there is an elaborate monument featuring a grieving woman embracing a cross. And while I was in the area, I did have a chance to explore Sleepy Hollow, including the old Dutch church and its beautiful old burial ground, which sits right beside Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. This is the churchyard made famous in Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and it was just awesome to see this area up close. I had to share it with you all, especially seeing as it's the spooky season. After the Dibble family, the house passed through several more owners. The house was later owned by a Columbia University biochemist and a New York City advertising executive before it was purchased in 1946 by an American author and historian named Carl Carmer. Carl was a well-known writer who had a particular interest in American folklore, legends, and ghost stories. And when Carl first discovered the Octagon House, it was in an advertisement listed for sale when he and his wife Betty were living in New York City. He drove out to Irvington that very afternoon and purchased the property for just $8,500 without Betty even seeing it yet. When he returned home, he apparently told her it's so ugly that it's beautiful. The couple ended up living here for nearly 30 years and they were known for hosting some pretty amazing parties with guests that included writers, artists, and actors. In fact, one of their parties was even featured in Life magazine in 1947. But Carl and Betty also believed that their home was haunted. They described a mysterious floral fragrance that would suddenly appear throughout the house and according to more recent accounts, people associated with the home have continued She continued reporting unexplained floral scents. Sometimes described as lilacs. By the 1970s the house had fallen into serious disrepair and its enormous dome was in danger of collapsing. The Karmers were eventually approached by a developer who wanted to demolish the property but instead they thankfully chose to sell it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Karl actually passed away the day after the National Trust officially took ownership of the house in September 1976. In 1978, preservation architect Joseph Pell Lombardi and his wife Nan purchased the property and began the enormous undertaking of restoring it. The Lombardi family has spent decades bringing the home back to its beautiful 1870s appearance, carefully restoring its interiors, historic finishes, and architectural details. And it is because of them and their incredible preservation efforts that we're able to experience this extraordinary Victorian house today. Octagonal houses became quite popular during the mid-1800s, largely thanks to a man named Orson Squire Fowler, who published a book in 1848 called A Home for All. Fowler believed that eight-sided homes were far more practical than traditional houses because they provided more living space, better ventilation, and more natural sunlight throughout windows on all eight sides. Hundreds of octagonal homes were built throughout America during this period, but none quite like this one. When Joseph Steiner purchased the property in 1872, he completely transformed it, adding the enormous dome, beautiful wraparound veranda, and elaborate Victorian ornamentation that we see today. The Armour Steiner house is considered the only known fully domed octagonal And I'm so glad it survived all these years, because it is such. A beauty. The veranda is supported by 56 columns with decorative capitals inspired by flowers that grew on the property. There's also elaborate cast iron railing, beautiful scroll work, and curved staircases that were originally flanked by stone lions. And I absolutely love the colors on this The exterior was originally painted in shades of pink, rose, lavender, red, gray, and cream, with contrasting colors highlighting all of the incredible Victorian details. Even the dome featured patterned slate in different colors, along with decorative ironwork and carved wooden details. But the house came dangerously close to being lost during the 20th century. The enormous dome had been built without sufficient structural support around its base. Over the years its weight caused the structure to spread outward, creating cracks and allowing water to seep inside. By the 1970s the dome had actually sunk approximately 12 inches and there was a very real possibility that it could completely collapse. When preservation architect Joseph Pell Lombardi purchased the house in 1978, he took on an enormous task of saving it. Working with an engineer, Lombardi developed a system of steel cables that would gradually pull the dome back into its original shape, while jacks were used to raise it back to its proper height. The process took approximately three years and his team eventually succeeded in stabilizing the dome. The restoration continued for decades with the Lombardi family studying historic photographs, researching original paint colors and recreating architectural details that had disappeared over the years. Inside, original furnishings have been returned, historic decorative finishes have been carefully restored or recreated, and the rooms have been brought back to reflect the home's appearance during the 1870s. And when you see how beautiful this house looks today, it's pretty incredible to think that it once came so close to being lost forever. We're starting here in the entry hall and it truly does make quite the first impression. Just look at that beautiful ceiling. The walls are actually covered in silver leaf with these intricate stencil designs while the ceiling and moldings feature silver copper and aluminum leaf finishes. I just love how everything has this beautiful metallic shimmer to it. It makes the room glow. And what's especially interesting is that much of this elaborate decoration had actually been painted over by previous owners. During the restoration process, the Lombardi family carefully studied the original finishes to recreate the colors and the patterns that would have been here during the 1870s. And just look at these gorgeous etched glass doors and windows. I love all of the intricate floral and geometric designs. You'll also notice little eight-sided details incorporated throughout the house, including the glasswork, woodwork, and even some of the furniture. And the central staircase actually served another purpose here. During the summer, opening the observatory windows allowed warm air to rise through the house and escape through the top, helping to draw cooler air in from below. And believe it or not much of this beautiful woodwork had actually been painted white over the years before it was eventually restored to its rich wooden finish that we see now. So much decorative detail went into the entry hall of this house and that makes sense because this was supposed to create the first impression for guests when entering Joseph Steiner's home. Just off the entry hall is this little office which I thought was such a charming little space. One of the interesting things about the layout of this house is how these smaller rooms were designed to fit into the unusual angles created by its octagonal shape. There's four of these little small side rooms and I love how the rugs in these small rooms have been designed To fit the unique shape of the space so perfectly. Now we're stepping into the salon, which would have been one of the family's formal sitting rooms used for entertaining guests. I absolutely love the beautiful pastel colors in here, especially that painted ceiling with the soft pink clouds, blue sky, and little birds flying overhead. During the restoration, the Lombardi family actually uncovered and recreated some of these beautiful decorative details to reflect what they would have originally looked like. This is an authentic 19th century 10-piece parlor set made by John Jelliff, a prominent furniture maker from Newark, New Jersey. During the restoration Lombardi came across this set being offered at auction and recognized how beautifully it would sit in the octagonal houses Victorian interiors and immediately thought that it would be beautiful in the octagon house's parlor. I just love all of the elaborate wood carvings and this beautiful tufted upholstery which is all original You'll also notice several 19th century paintings depicting landscapes along the Hudson River, and I love how they're displayed hanging from the picture rails along the walls, which was a popular way of displaying artwork during the Victorian era. There's also an interesting sculpture here called Courtship and Sleepy Hollow. I love how the history and folklore of this area are incorporated into the home's actual decor. And over by the bay windows, there's two little busts on display which actually reference Orson Squire Fowler, whose ideas about octagonal houses helped inspire the original design of this home. And just look at those beautiful tall windows and all of the natural light just pouring into this room. It's just such a lovely space. And here's a quick look inside of the solarium, another one of those smaller funky rooms designed around the unusual shape of this house. I love the soft green walls, the beautiful wood shutters, and all of this natural light coming in through these windows. Next up is the dining room, which is beautifully furnished in this Renaissance Revival dining set. And just look how gorgeous the table setting is The chairs actually date back to the 19th century and still have their original leather upholstery. I also love that the dining table has these curved ends that work so beautifully with the shape of the room. Look at all of this beautiful silver displayed on the sideboard. During the restoration, Joseph Lombardi actually discovered a single piece of silver buried beneath the veranda and spent years tracking down matching pieces to recreate the dining room's silver service. And if you look at the top of the sideboard, there's this beautiful carved elk's head. It represents the eastern elk, a species that actually became extinct during the 19th century. And I just absolutely love that enormous Victorian mirror between the windows and those beautiful pink curtains. Just imagine sitting down here for a formal Victorian dinner. It must have been quite the experience. And just off the dining room is the butler's pantry, with this beautiful copper sink and built-in cabinetry. This little pantry was connected to the main service kitchen downstairs by a dumb waiter, which allowed food and dishes to be transported between floors without having to carry everything up the stairs. And just check out this antique high chair with its little wooden tray. I love finding pieces like this in Victorian houses. They really take you back. Here's a little peek inside of the tea room, another one of those charming little spaces tucked into the corners of this house. I love that Joseph Steiner, who made his fortune selling tea, actually had a room dedicated to enjoying it. Next is the kitchen, which is actually one of two kitchens in the house. This one was known as the ladies kitchen, where Hannah Steiner could prepare meals and oversee some of the household cooking. The larger service kitchen was located downstairs, where the servants handled much of heavier cooking and cleaning. And just look at this incredible cast iron original stove. It's called The Perfect Stove, made by Richardson and Boynton, a company known for introducing improvements in temperature control and ventilation during the Victorian era. And that tall metal cylinder beside it is actually an early water heater. It's pretty amazing that these original kitchen fixtures have survived for so long, and that we get to see them right here. Now we're upstairs in what would have been one of the family's more informal sitting rooms. I love this beautiful burgundy Victorian furniture with all of its embroidered floral designs. But take a look at this unusual little sewing table. It's actually octagonal, with a lid that opens to reveal all of these little compartments for organizing sewing supplies, and I just love how something as simple as this was designed to complement the unusual architecture of the house. This is the master bedroom, which has some of the most beautiful decorative details in it. Just look at this gorgeous painted ceiling and the designs that run along the top of the walls. I love all of these soft pastel colors. It seems to be a theme in the whole house. This gorgeous matching bedroom set is actually an eight-piece set made by Hart Ware and Company of Philadelphia from the 19th century. The furniture has these beautiful black and gold finishes with little hand-painted landscapes depicting scenes along the Hudson River. And even the bed posts are octagonal. It's all in the details here. Here's a look inside of that enormous dome which actually housed an entire room dedicated to dancing. Just look at all of that beautiful cedar wood covering the curved walls and ceiling. The room also has eight windows overlooking the surrounding grounds so that they could have the best views of the Hudson Valley River. Now we're stepping into one of the most incredible rooms in the entire house, the Egyptian Revival Room. This room is actually considered the only surviving Egyptian Revival room in an American home that still contains its original furnishings from 1876. Just look at all of these incredible Egyptian-inspired details. The walls are decorated with figures inspired by ancient Egyptian art, and that beautiful The beautiful blue ceiling is covered in approximately 2,000 little stars, Which were painstakingly repainted during the restoration. And here's something really fascinating about the furniture. In 2008, a three-piece Egyptian Revival parlor set was discovered at auction with Joseph Steiner's name painted directly onto the furniture. And the pieces were eventually returned right here to this house. I love all of the Egyptian designs incorporated into the furniture, especially those beautiful upholstered chairs. And take a look at this beautiful little porcelain washbasin built into the marble countertop right here. Since this room was also used for activities like painting, the basin was used for washing paintbrushes and other art supplies. I love how even something so practical was designed so beautifully. It's pretty incredible to see a room like this still furnished with pieces that actually belonged to the family more than 150 years ago. This was by far my favorite room in the whole house. And I'm curious what you think. What's your favorite room so far? Here's a look inside one of the children's bedrooms, which is such a sweet little room. It's filled with lots of vintage toys to really make you feel like you're in an actual child's bedroom during the Victorian era. And here's a quick look inside of the curio room, which is filled with all sorts of interesting little treasures. During the Victorian era, collecting things like butterflies, seashells, fossils, and botanical specimens was incredibly popular, and people would often display their collections in rooms like this one. Here's a look inside of this beautiful Victorian greenhouse that's on the property. This is actually a 19th century greenhouse that was carefully reconstructed on the property's original greenhouse site during the restoration. I absolutely love that gorgeous glass ceiling. It's such a lovely addition to the property. It's pretty incredible to think about everything this house has been through, and how close it came to being lost forever. As you walk through the house and see the gorgeous interiors, original furnishings, and even those little personal details left behind by the families who lived here, you really get a sense of just how much history has been preserved here. I especially am amazed by the restoration of this house. Just imagine if that enormous dome had collapsed and all of these beautiful rooms had disappeared with it. We wouldn't be able to experience any of this today, so I'm especially appreciative of the dedication and years of hard work the Lombardi family has put into saving this home and preserving such an extraordinary piece of Victorian history. I hope that you enjoyed touring this unique and rare Victorian home with me today. Thank you for watching and for coming along with me. If you loved learning about the history of this home, make sure Make sure to give the video a big thumbs up and subscribe. It really helps to support the channel. Until next week, my friends, keep enjoying the beauty of vintage home. Au revoir.