Discover the Octagon House in Hudson Valley, NY

From little-known roadside attractions to quirky museums to obscure natural wonders, Local Hidden Gems will introduce you to some of the unique and unexpected treasures that make America extraordinary. Our focus will be on charm, surprise, and delight.

Hidden local gem: The Armour-Stiner Octagonal House in Irvington, New York

Who would have thought that Victorian-style octagonal and domed houses still existed? Or that they were even created?

Even history buffs will be surprised by the beauty and uniqueness of the octagonal Armour-Stiner House, a private home in Irvington, New York, which on certain days is open to the public.

The house offers a glimpse into a bygone era when Westchester County was the “country,” enticing Manhattanites to buy summer homes.

Resembling something you might see in Europe, this whimsical structure is the only fully domed octagonal residence in the world. The home features numerous carved wooden scrolls, detailed cast iron crests, and shades of raspberry, blue, purple, gray, beige, and red.

Originally built in 1860 as a relatively modest octagonal house, it was completely redesigned in 1872 by Joseph Stiner, a prominent New York tea merchant, who modeled it after a classical ancient Roman temple. He added a cupcake-shaped dome, 56 columns, 280 brackets, 560 hand-carved leaves, and a colonnaded porch.

The house is named after Stiner and another former owner, financier Paul J. Armour. Subsequent owners were equally creative. One was a Finnish explorer who lived with a pirate. There is even a story that one former resident is now a ghost.

Like many historic homes, the structure was neglected for years before being acquired in 1977 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In 1978, Tribeca architect and preservationist Joseph Pell Lombardi purchased the house, meticulously restored it, and later wrote a book about it.

Local Hidden Gems: Spotlight on American treasures in our backyards

What really strikes you, besides its lyrical exterior and interesting history, is the restored interior down to the doorknobs, each piece more intriguing than the next. According to Michael Lombardi, who worked alongside his father and lives in the property’s carriage house, the 1870s furniture is the best representation of the American Roman Revival style in the country.

Also featured are painted and stenciled ceilings, gold, silver and bronze leaf trim, and eight-sided designs in plasterwork, woodwork and etched glass.

Among its most interesting features is the Egyptian Revival-style music room on the third floor, with its chairs embroidered with pharaohs and its thorn piano decorated with hieroglyphs. There is also a ballroom on the fourth floor, atop the dome, which extends the entire width of the house, with no interior walls and eight porthole windows overlooking the Hudson.

The eight-bedroom, four-bathroom home is also particularly striking during the holidays when it is decorated for Halloween and Christmas.

Or: 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, New York

More information: Contact 914-817-5763 or visit the website at armourstiner.com.

Good to know: $29 one-hour tours include “The Classic Tour” and “The Decorative Arts.” Tours are offered Thursday through Monday from April through December.

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and culinary events. Click here to read her most recent articles and follow her latest culinary adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.