Rare Virginia octagon mansion with 'haunted' reputation hits the market

A rare eight-sided Virginia mansion with a spooky reputation is looking for its next owner.

The historic Octagon Mansion in Wytheville, Virginia, has hit the market for $295,000, offering buyers six bedrooms, roughly 5,000 square feet and more than 150 years of history — as well as a past tied to paranormal investigations and ghost-themed events, according to Realtor.com.

Built in 1870, the home is one of the country's few remaining octagon houses, an architectural style that briefly gained popularity in the mid-1800s before largely disappearing, the outlet reported.

In recent years, the property operated as the Octagon Mansion History Museum after curator John Cushman purchased it in 2019. The museum hosted regular "Dinner with a Ghost" events before closing in March 2025. Prior to Cushman’s purchase, the home sat vacant for nearly a decade, according to Realtor.com.

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"The Octagon Mansion in Wytheville is a genuine rarity, and not just because of its haunted reputation," Realtor.com Executive Editor Charlie Lankston told FOX Business. 

Lankston said octagon homes had a brief run in the late 1850s and early 1860s, when some design experts argued the eight-sided layout could give homeowners "more space for less money." 

But the trend faded by the early 1900s, and many octagon homes were eventually demolished, he noted.

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"The fact that this 1870 property has survived more than 150 years largely intact, with its original hardwood floors, custom millwork, and architectural bones still in place, makes it a unique piece of American history," Langston said. 

A spokesperson for the property’s most recent owners declined to tell FOX Business why they are selling.

The mansion has been substantially remodeled, with updates including a commercial kitchen, refreshed bathrooms and upgraded electrical systems. Some original features, such as hardwood floors, built-ins and detailed millwork, remain intact, Realtor.com noted.

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The property's B-2 zoning could also give the next owner flexibility.

The home could potentially be used as an event venue, bed-and-breakfast or mixed-use space, according to Realtor.com.

"For anyone with an interest in preservation, there aren’t many opportunities like this left, particularly at a price point under $300,000," Langston said.