DARLINGTON — The Lafayette County Historical and Genealogy Society (LCHGS) recently announced that historical restoration of the “The Octagon Building” has been completed. The Octagon Building is the only original structure that remains of the Great White Fair — the first agricultural fair, so named because all the buildings were white, that became the Lafayette County Fair.
It was built in 1872 when the fair was located near Center Hill on the other side of the Pecatonica River. It came with the rest of the fair when it was moved to its current location. Photos of the fair from 1912 show the building was elevated on posts to create an observation platform outside the race track, not far from the grandstand. It has been used for concessions, special events and even flu shots at the fair.
The building has been moved within the fairgrounds and altered over the years. It is unclear when it happened, but as of 1989 it was no longer elevated and had lost the arched openings and flag pole at the peak. It had deteriorated so to save it from loss, volunteers Stan Howard, and Paul Peterson of the Historical Society repaired it, replacing rotted wood and repainting it, with financial help from the Pecatonica Antique Club.
In 2023, discussion about what to do with the building started again due to its role as deteriorated storage shed, and the Fair Committee contacted the Historical Society. Relocation of the building was considered but rejected. LCHGS then committed to seeing the building restored to beauty and usefulness. In the summer of 2023 the bottom half of the exterior wood was replaced, 2024 Bruce Geissbuhler and his team of carpenters restored the top half of the walls recreating the arched openings and building shutters, which LCHGS painted. LCHGS replaced grass behind the building with a flower bed to reduce grass clippings building up at the base, contributing to wet conditions.
This past summer the old cedar shingles were replaced with new cedar shakes and a new flagpole — the American flag with a solar light once again adorns the peak.
LCHGS thanked Bruce Geissbuhler and main carpenter Joe Picket, who designed a special bracket and flashing to install the flagpole. Restoration is complete.
LCHGS is a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing the history of Lafayette County including its people, places, and events. LCHGS does not own the building which belongs to the Lafayette County Fair. However ensuring it stays strong and beautiful as part of county history is a labor of love. Additionally financial support for the last three years of work has come from member volunteer labor, Geissbuhler Construction donating labor (and hardware), Compeer Financial, and The Daughters of the American Revolution providing grant funding, and donations from members and the general public.
LCHGS encourages guests to stop by the building during the county fair to see what a gem it is. LCHGS will be holding a bake sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during Friday, Saturday and Sunday (July 11-13) of the fair, with proceeds going towards completion of the Caboose Restoration and repair of the museum front steps. It is the hope of the LCHGS volunteers that the building sees more use now that it has been restored. For more information about the Octagon Building or any LCHGS activities, call 608-482-2483.
