Octagon Building for kids
The Octagon That Would Not Burn. A true story near Santa Cruz, CA, told for kids 6-8.
Read along
Look for a red brick building with lots of sides! Count them if you can. It has eight, like a stop sign. People call it the Octagon Building. It was built in 1882 to keep the county's important papers safe.
Then, in 1894, a big fire burned most of the buildings nearby, even the courthouse next door. But the brick Octagon stayed standing! Many years later, in 1989, a big earthquake shook the town and damaged many old brick buildings. Again, the Octagon made it through. It's like the stubborn little pig who built his house out of bricks.
Now it's your turn. Can you find the eight sides? Hold up eight fingers when you see it!
Quiz the back seat
How many sides does the Octagon Building have?
Show the answer
Eight. Eight! Just like a stop sign, and just as strong.
3 fun facts
- The Octagon was built in 1882 as the County Hall of Records.
- It survived the 1894 fire.
- It also survived the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
For grown-ups
Written with AI from public sources, then checked claim by claim against the sources below before it was published; stories that don't pass stay off the app and this site. Narration is pre-recorded, and nothing you do on this page is tied to your kids.
Sources
More stories in Santa Cruz
Roads
Town and county names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).