Octagonal Schoolhouse, property listed on the NRHP
The Octagonal Schoolhouse is a one-room school building made of stone and covered with stucco, located near Little Creek in Delaware. The structure features a pyramid-shaped roof covered in shingles with stepped stone corners that emphasize its distinctive eight-sided design.
The schoolhouse was built in 1836 as one of the first schools established after Delaware created its free public education system, likely designed by Manlove Hayes. After its years as an active school, it served the community as a meeting space before being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
The schoolhouse served as a gathering place for the local community beyond its role as a classroom, hosting meetings and events that brought neighbors together. Its distinctive eight-sided design reflects the educational ideals of the era and shows how central learning was to the early settlers of Delaware.
The schoolhouse sits in a quiet rural setting near Cowgill's Corner and is best reached by car. The site is accessible on foot, but the surrounding landscape is open and relatively flat, so visitors should prepare for changing weather conditions.
The building is one of the few octagonal schoolhouses that has remained nearly unchanged since its construction, while many other historic school buildings have been demolished or significantly altered. This rarity makes it an especially valuable example of early American school architecture.
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