Octagon House (87 Linden Ave. now site of Memorial School) In July of 1856, John W. Hasbrouck, "the father of Middletown journalism" married Dr. Lydia Sayer, a noted feminist. The land on which they built their house was once part of stephen Sayer's farm and was known as Sybil Ridge. Octagon style houses were made popular by Orson S. Fowler from Fishkill, NY, and most were built between 1850-1870. The style is relatively rare, only a few thousand being built mostly in New York and Massachusetts, and the Midwest. The Hasbrouck's house was completed in November 1857, and cost $2,688.10 to build. The outhouse was also an octagon, built in the same style as the house. Three octagon additions were eventually built, one on each side (shown) and one in the rear. John died in 1907 and Lydia in 1910. The house was torn down about 1919 before building the school.