 John Tayloe III was a close friend of George Washington's, and Washington convinced Tayloe to build a winter home in the new city of Washington.There is some evidence that the walled back yard of The Octagon itself may have served as a slave market, and it is well-established that the rear of the building housed the Tayloe family's slaves.The Tayloe family was exceptionally well-connected, and their home was an important one in the city.