Octagon House: D.C.’s First & Most Haunted House | DomoNaut
APRIL 1, 2025
DomoNaut is a channel dedicated to documenting architectural history through home and museum tours. Explore the rich stories behind historic towns and houses, from Federal mansions to mid-century modern masterpieces, and dive into detailed architectural walkthroughs of historic properties. Whether you're passionate about house restoration, architectural details, or simply love exploring old homes, DomoNaut takes you on a cinematic journey through the fascinating world of architecture. Subscribe for insightful home history tours and behind-the-scenes looks at American architectural heritage.
Retreating the Treaty Box: Dealing with Deteriorated Materials and Aged Acrylic Consolidant in an Historic Document Box
APRIL 1, 2025
The Ghent Treaty box is a small document box that was made in 1814 to carry the treaty that ended the War of 1812 between Britain and America. The wooden box is covered with leather and decorated with brass nails. Many of the original materials had become badly damaged and required conservation treatment in 1973. This early treatment had many positive results, but has subsequently contributed to the continuing physical and aesthetic problems associated with the box. The Ghent Treaty box was recently conserved at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to stabilize the materials and improve its appearance in preparation for display at the Octagon. This paper outlines the history of the box, the effects of the previous treatment and details the materials and techniques used at Colonial Williamsburg to re-treat the Ghent Treaty box.
A Sailor Returns Home: The Story of John Tayloe IV
APRIL 1, 2025
The following story resulted from a painting of a young naval officer who served aboard the USS Constitution during the War of 1812. Reflecting on a portrait of his 3rd great-Grandfather, John Tayloe IV, author Samuel McDonough recalls his ancestor's service during the War of 1812 and other notable historic events that surrounded his life in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. While doing the research for a previous book, “Our Founding Fathers Homes and Churches in Virginia”, McDonough discovered several documents relating to the Tayloe families activities in running multiple large plantations, iron works factories, ship building plants, horseracing, and many served in the colonial government. This is a story of a Tayloe who lived a rather short, yet eventful life during our nation’s infancy.