This octagon house, a rare early example, closely adheres to the design tenets promoted by the phrenologist Orson S. Fowler in his 1849 manifesto, A Home For All, or a New, Cheap, Convenient and Superior Mode of Building. While Fowler did not introduce the octagon house to America, as has often been claimed, he did invent a version that embodied his progressive ideas for affordable housing, a scientific approach to materials and construction methods, and an improved way of life that embraced the sanctity of nature. This specific example was built for (or by) the eccentric Smith family of Stockport about 1860, and retains many defining features of the house type.

This nomination was a collaboration with Neil Larson. Marissa Marvelli was responsible for documentation and research. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May 2025.