In the village of Carolina in Richmond, Rhode Island, locals often use a distinctive white octagon house on Main Street as a landmark when giving directions. Located at 4 Carolina Main Street, this unusual eight-sided building has earned the nickname "wedding cake house" from local children due to its distinctive shape and color. However, beneath its charming exterior lies a fascinating history that connects 19th-century architectural innovation, cultural heritage, and even ties to The Providence Journal.

The octagon house represents a remnant of a unique architectural movement that swept through 19th-century America. Built in 1857 by Albert S. Potter, a farmer and watchmaker who had participated in the California Gold Rush, the house reflects the era's fascination with unconventional building designs. According to Kristen Chambers, president of the Richmond Historical Society, Potter returned from California with an interest in octagon houses, though it's unclear whether he struck gold during his western adventure.

Potter's house was constructed from one of the octagon house kits that were popular at the time, similar to how Sears houses would later be sold in the 1920s, explains Jan Doyle, director of the Carolina Fiber Center, which currently operates from the building. Potter chose a basic model but added a special feature: a cupola on top that would allow natural light to enter from all directions, creating an ideal workspace for his watchmaking activities.

The architectural movement behind Potter's house originated with Orson Fowler, an eccentric New Yorker with diverse interests including phrenology, a pseudoscience that claimed to determine personality traits by measuring skull shapes. Fowler published "The Octagon House: A Home for All, or A New, Cheap, Convenient, and Superior Mode of Building" in 1848, which sparked the octagon house craze. Interestingly, Fowler supposedly once told Mark Twain that he lacked a sense of humor based on a phrenological reading. Fowler also founded a publishing house that was the first to print Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass."

Virginia Williams, a Richmond historian who has lectured extensively on octagon houses, describes Fowler as "a man of incredible, different interests," who advocated for better treatment of the mentally ill and children, supported universal education, and opposed the use of corsets. However, Fowler eventually died in disgrace due to his controversial lectures on sexual education, which were considered immoral for the time.

Fowler's sales pitch for octagon houses was compelling, though debatable. He argued that the eight-sided design was superior because it more closely resembled nature's perfect form, the circle. According to his theory, octagon houses were cheaper to build and healthier to live in than conventional rectangular homes. The design allowed for more windows, which meant better air circulation and more natural light. The cupola at the top created a natural ventilation system that would draw fresh air through the house when windows were opened.

Despite these supposed advantages, octagon houses had significant drawbacks. Privacy was compromised because residents often had to pass through one room to reach another. Additionally, the unusual triangular-shaped rooms made furniture placement extremely difficult, creating practical challenges for daily living. These design flaws may explain why the octagon house movement, though popular in the United States and overseas during the mid-1800s, eventually faded away.

The exact number of surviving octagon houses in Rhode Island remains uncertain, though Louis McGowan, former president of the Johnston Historical Society, identified 33 in an article published on Quahog, a Rhode Island history blog. In a 1974 application to nominate Carolina to the National Register of Historic Places, Potter's house was described as "a two-story octagonal structure with central chimney carried up through an unabashedly quaint roof-top belvedere."

The Potter family maintained ownership of the octagon house until the late 20th century. Around that time, John Quinn, a Carolina native and accomplished journalist, purchased the property and established the Carolina Preservation Band Society to manage it. Quinn began his journalism career as a copy boy at The Providence Journal Bulletin while attending Providence College. He worked his way up through the ranks, serving as reporter, copy editor, city editor, and eventually managing editor of The Bulletin. In 1966, he left to join Gannett, the parent company of The Providence Journal, and became one of the founding figures behind USA Today. Quinn passed away in 2017.

For approximately a decade after Quinn's purchase, the octagon house remained unoccupied, though it occasionally served as temporary lodging for actors performing in local Shakespeare in the Park productions. Around 2010, Quinn approached Jan Doyle, a professional weaver, and offered the historic building as a home for the Carolina Fiber Center. Today, the house accommodates about 20 looms where weavers gather to learn and practice their craft.

A 1993 article in Yankee magazine captured the emotional significance of the house when Potter's descendants decided to sell the property, including a workshop and 2 acres of land, for $179,000. Potter's granddaughter was selling because the upkeep had become overwhelming while caring for her sick mother. During the journalist's visit, she reminisced about family renovations over the decades and countless holiday gatherings that had taken place within the octagon walls.

The journalist reflected on the deep sense of family history embedded in the structure, writing: "We were thinking about the closeness of families, and the things that bring them together, and the many times over the past 135 years when this one family had gathered here to share happiness and sorrow and concern. It reminded us again of how often a house is not a home. And how, once in a great while, we have a chance to visit one that so clearly is." While no longer serving as a conventional family residence, the octagon house continues to foster community and creativity as the home of the Carolina Fiber Center, preserving both architectural heritage and traditional craftsmanship for future generations.