National Register of Historic Places

Octagonal Schoolhouse

Cowgill's Corner, Kent County, Delaware
Listed
March 23, 1971
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
71000217

About this property

Octagonal Schoolhouse, also known as the Eight-square School House, is a historic octagonal schoolhouse building located in Cowgill's Corner, Kent County, Delaware. In 1829, Delaware became the second state to establish free public education for its residents. This schoolhouse, which opened in 1836, is one of the first buildings from that movement, and the only one not significantly altered at the time of its addition to the National Register of Historical Places. Manlove Hayes, who lived south of Leipsic is said to have designed the structure since education benefited his numerous children and step children. It is a one-room and one-story stuccoed stone building. It has a pyramidal shingled roof with a stepped stone cornice. The first teacher was Joshua G. Baker. Both boys and girls attended the school and were seated in two circles in the interior, with boys facing the outside and girls the inside. It remained a public school well into the 20th century, after which it was used as a community meeting house. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. DE-18, "Octagonal School House, Route 9, Little Creek, Kent County, DE", 1 photo, 2 data pages, supplemental material

Location

Cowgill's Corner, Kent County, Delaware
39.19580, -75.47211

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Octagonal Schoolhouse

This page lists Octagonal Schoolhouse. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Octagonal Schoolhouse report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Little Creek Hundred Rural Historic District
Listed
0.9 mi
Macomb Farm
Industrial
0.9 mi
Mifflin-Marim Agricultural Complex
Industrial
1.9 mi
Wheel of Fortune
Industrial
2.5 mi
Old Stone Tavern
Early Republic
2.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Octagonal Schoolhouse listed on the National Register?

Octagonal Schoolhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 23, 1971.

What type of historic resource is Octagonal Schoolhouse?

Octagonal Schoolhouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Octagonal Schoolhouse?

The period of significance for Octagonal Schoolhouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Octagonal Schoolhouse?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Octagonal Schoolhouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Kent County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Kent County.

Explore KentCounty ›

More historic places in Delaware

Browse all historic places in Delaware.

View Delawarehistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Delaware history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Delawarehistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Octagonal Schoolhouse will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report