The Evolution of the Armour Stiner House: Then and Now

The Armour Stiner House in Irvington, New York, is a one-of-a-kind piece of architecture. It is one of the most well-known buildings in the United States that was built in the Second Empire style. Paul J. Stiner, a rich tea merchant and collector of Asian art, built Armour Stiner in 1872. The building is known for its strange design, which includes a mansard roof, windows that don’t line up, and a tower that looks like a minaret.

Armour Stiner House has changed many times over the years, and each change has changed how it looks and how important it is. In this piece, we’ll look at the history of Armour Stiner, see what it looks like now, and talk about what it means for modern architecture.

How Armor Stiner Octagon House Has Changed Over Time

Armour Stiner House was built in 1872 for Paul J. Stiner to use as a summer home. The mansion was built in the style of the French Second Empire, which was famous in the middle of the 19th century. The style is defined by its use of geometry, mansard roofs, and ornate details.

Evolution of the Armour Stiner House

Armour Stiner was sold to George G. McMurtry at the beginning of the 20th century. McMurtry turned it into a place where people could stay overnight. During this time, the house went through several changes, such as adding a few small rooms and turning the tower into a water tank.

In 1945, Irvington Lodge, which is a Masonic group, bought Armour Stiner House. The lodge used the house as a place to hold meetings, so the inside of the building was changed in several ways. Armour Stiner House was sold to a private owner in 1982. The new owner did much work to restore the building to its former glory.

Where Armour Stiner House Stands Now


Armour Stiner Octagon House is a private home now, so the public can’t go there. But the mansion is still an important landmark in Irvington, New York, and people who like building and history still come to see it. Some interesting facts about Armour Stiner’s present situation are as follows:

The same family that worked on fixing up the house in the 1980s still owns it.
Armour Stiner is a National Historic Landmark, which shows how important it is to American buildings.


The inside of the building has been brought back to how it looked when it was first built. Many original features are still there, like the hand-carved woodwork and stained glass windows.


Importance of Armour Stiner in Modern Building Armour Stiner is an important example of a Second Empire building in the United States because of its unique style and historical importance. Many modern buildings have taken parts of the design of the house and used them in their designs. Here are some of the ways Armour Stiner Octagon House has changed building today:

Armour Stiner’s Second Empire style led to the use of asymmetry and uneven rooflines in modern buildings.
The mansion’s tower, which looks like a minaret, has been used as a model for many modern buildings.
Many modern builders have been inspired by Armour Stiner’s intricate woodwork and stained glass windows to use traditional craftsmanship in their designs as follows

Armour-Stiner Octagon House Floor plan

From the basement to the top of the house, there are 6 stories with large rooms that connect in interesting ways. Just looking at these floor plans is a fun and exciting journey in and of itself. Orson Fowler would be proud of what came from his little book.

You are buying black-and-white copies with a high quality that are printed on white bond paper. Photos in the description are for your reference only and are NOT part of your buy. The Historical American Building Survey made the first models, which are in the public domain and can be found in the Library of Congress.

Armour-Stiner Octagon House Interior

Armour-Stiner Octagon House Interior

This poetic home still has its beautiful decorations and furniture. It is the only Egyptian Revival room in the United States that has its original decorations and furniture. The tour is led by well-trained guides, and it covers a lot of the garden, including our charming Lord and Burnham Greenhouse. However, the focus is on the interior, which includes the Lady’s Kitchen, the charming Dining Room, and the magnificent Egyptian Revival Room, which are all on the third floor.

You may ask from us :


Who owns the Armour Stiner house?


From 1940 until his death in 1976, Carmer lived in the house. His memory includes stories about a ghost who lived there. Several of his written stories include the house. The house was bought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation not long after Carl Carmer died.
Why it called octagon house?

In the 1800s, an eight-sided house was a great way to show that you were a forward-thinking individualist. At the time, the octagon house was a cutting-edge design. It was thought to be a better way to use room, energy, and money than the usual square house.

What makes an octagon special?

A regular octagon has eight sides and eight edges that are all the same length. All of the sides are the same length, and all of the curves are also the same size. The inside angles add up to 1080°, and the outside angles add up to 360°. At each corner of a standard octagon, the angle on the inside is 135°.

What does an octagon represent in architecture?

The form of an octagon has been a symbol in architecture for rebirth, and renewal for a long time.

How many square feet is the Armour Stiner house?

8,400 square foot


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