Diamond Rock Schoolhouse

Diamond Rock Schoolhouse is an octagonal building in Tredyffrin Township featuring eight walls that are about 10 feet (3 meters) wide. Multiple windows were positioned throughout the structure to bring natural light into the learning space.

It was built in 1818 by Mennonite families of Welsh and German heritage and served as a school until 1864. The closure came as the growing population in the area needed larger educational facilities.

The building served as a painting studio for artist Wharton Esherick in the 1920s, who added diamond-shaped shutters and a radial concrete floor.

The schoolhouse opens on select Sundays during the summer months for visitors and can be reserved for group tours outside these times. Check ahead for specific opening dates and plan group visits in advance.

The interior was arranged with about 60 students sitting on benches around a central wood-burning stove, with walls marked for different grade levels. Decades later, artist Wharton Esherick used the space as a painting studio in the 1920s and altered it with diamond-shaped shutters and a radial concrete floor.