Rooted in the Free School Act of 1829, the Octagonal Schoolhouse, built in 1836, served as the District No. 12 school in Kent County until its closure in 1930, when it became a community center. The building’s construction consisted of undressed stone, stuccoed and whitewashed, with eight sides of equal dimension and a pyramidal shingled roof. Children sat in desks placed in two circles, back to back, the outer one for the boys and the inner one for the girls, with the school master seated in the center. The building was acquired by the State of Delaware in 1967 and in 1971 was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

1969 text:

Among the earliest of the school opened in Kent County under the free School Law of 1829. Built about 1836 of undressed stone, designed by Manlove Hayes, an early educator, the school was in use until 1930. Girls and Boys sat at benches in rows facing in opposite directions. The outside row faced the wall.

KC-40: Installed in 1969.

Location:

6926 Bayside Drive, Dover, DE 19901

 

Links to more resources:

• Improvements completed at Delaware’s historic Octagonal Schoolhouse – Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
• KC-40: National Register of Historic Places Application