Lapham-Patterson House
Thomasville, GA · Southwest Georgia
Built in 1885 as a Chicago shoe magnate's winter cottage, this Queen Anne landmark is a National Historic Landmark loaded with deliberate oddities: a deck of fish-scale shingles, walls of stained glass, and close to 50 doors and exits, the legacy of an owner who survived the Great Chicago Fire and never wanted to feel trapped again. The whole house sits slightly askew so equinox light pours through the third floor, and a hexagonal room anchors a floor plan with almost no right angles. Friday and Saturday guided tours walk you through the long-leaf pine inlaid floors and the double-flue chimney that made it a marvel of its day.




