The White House may be the most well-known home in Washington D.C., but just blocks away from the presidential mansion sits a lesser known home with its own piece of U.S. history.

The Octagon is an approximately 10,000 square foot home designed by William Thornton, who served as the first architect of the U.S. Capitol. The building sits at the corner of New York Avenue NW and 18th Street NW in Washington, D.C., and was completed in 1801.

Built as a second residence for Virginia's prominent Tayloe family who were friends of George Washington, the more than 200-year old building gets its name from the shape of the main room at the main entrance. Amanda Ferrario is the manager of the house, which now doubles as a museum and event space. It's owned and maintained by the Architects Foundation

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