Gallaher House, historic house in Washington, United States
Gallaher House is an eight-sided wooden home with three stories built on a stone foundation in Washington. The roof features large dormers on each side along with ornamental brackets and finials, while the interior is divided into four main sections with a central spiral staircase connecting twelve rooms that have ceilings approximately nine feet high.
The house was built in 1914 by James Kinney as a gift for his daughter Ruth and her husband David Gallaher, who lived there with their children. The family occupied the home for several decades until they moved to a more modern house in the 1940s, after which it served temporary workers and residents before becoming vacant in the 1970s.
The house displays an unusual octagonal form that sets it apart from typical residential buildings and continues to draw visitors today. The colored glass windows featuring yellow, green, and red tones, along with handcrafted details such as ornamental brackets and finials, reflect its Victorian character and reveal early design concepts that were meaningful in the region.
The house is currently located in Bridgeport following its relocation in 1993 from its original site about ten kilometers away, which required a major preservation effort. Since the rooms are small and irregularly shaped due to the octagonal geometry, visitors should allow time to explore carefully and use the spiral staircase with attention to the tight spaces.
The house was originally built without modern facilities such as indoor plumbing or electricity, which were added later, revealing how people lived in early 20th-century Washington. The octagonal shape itself is uncommon in the region and was also used by James Kinney for his own smaller residence, demonstrating his preference for this unusual building style.
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