MONTVALE, N.J. –– This Thursday, Dec. 21, brings the first day of winter (although it’s been chilly in the Pascack Valley for a few weeks now). Here’s a look at a photo taken right around this time of year, back in 1908. The group is gathered around Montvale’s iconic Octagon House.
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So, what’s the story behind this unique Grand Avenue building that graces the borough seal?
Starting in the 1830s, the land came into the ownership of a man named John J. Blauvelt Jr. In the 1850s, he decided to replace a pre-Revolutionary War sandstone house which had long stood on the grounds with a new home of contemporary design.
Blauvelt was reportedly a friend of one colorful character named Orson S. Fowler, who in 1848 had written a book, “A Home for All,” espousing the benefits of octagonal buildings. Fowler wasn’t actually trained in architecture. In fact, he was a noted lecturer on phrenology (a pseudoscience popular in the 19th century that claimed the shape of one’s skull can be indicative of character traits). Nevertheless, Fowler convinced his friend to build in the octagonal style.
While Fowler’s status as an architect was self-styled, there must have been something to his idea: More than 160 years later, the Octagon House is still standing and is the most famous structure in Montvale.
Three different Montvale mayors lived in the house over the years: Garret Hering (mayor 1898-1900 and Blauvelt’s son-in-law), Jules Schwenker (mayor 1942-1945) and George Huff (mayor 1946-1959). The Huffs ran a restaurant there in the 1950s.
—Kristin Beuscher