The Lapham–Patterson House

The Lapham–Patterson House in Thomasville, Georgia, is a very eccentric mansion due to the lasting trauma of the owner. C.W. Lapham had survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and was adamant that his new home be built with easy escape in mind. You'd think that a wealthy man with a fear of fire would prefer to built a house of stone, but the Lapham–Patterson House is all wood. But Lapham also had something against symmetry. There is nothing on one side of the house which matches the other side, and each room is a different shape. Even the rooms that are fairly rectangular have offset overhead lighting.

As strange as the design is, the house is beautiful. The classic Victorian look, the gingerbread, the ornate woodwork, and the stained glass are charming. And the house was designed to display a strange secret power. During the spring and fall equinoxes, the stain glass windows on the third floor are set to shine a silhouette of a cow's head onto the floor of the gentlemen's parlor. This is an homage to the cow that legend says started the Chicago fire.

While Lapham was a very wealthy man, his life had plenty of tragedy. You have to wonder about the creative demons that fired the design of the house that outlived him. If you are ever near Thomasville, Georgia, you can tour the house or even stay the night.