Little Creek Hundred in Dover in Kent County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Octagonal Schoolhouse

Photographed by Pete Skillman, March 25, 2024

1. Octagonal Schoolhouse Marker

Inscription. 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.

Erected 2021 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number KC-40.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. In addition, it is included in the Delaware Public Archives, and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1836.

Location. 39° 11.749′ N, 75° 28.352′ W. Marker is in Dover, Delaware, in Kent County. It is in Little Creek Hundred. It can be reached from Bayside Drive. Touch for map.

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Marker is at or near this postal address: 6938 Bayside Dr, Dover DE 19901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Mid-Atlantic,

on the Delmarva Peninsula,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Octagonal School House (here, next to this marker); Old Stone Tavern (approx. 2.6 miles away); Little Creek United Methodist Church (approx. 2.6 miles away); Town of Little Creek (approx. 2.8 miles away); Dover International Speedway (approx. 2.9 miles away); Vietnam Memorial (approx. 3.2 miles away); In Tribute to Dover VFW Memorial Post 9962 (approx. 3.3 miles away); Korean War Memorial (approx. 3.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dover.

Also see . . . Octagonal Schoolhouse - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.

Octagonal Schoolhouse Marker wide view with schoolhouse visible image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Pete Skillman, March 25, 2024

2. Octagonal Schoolhouse Marker wide view with schoolhouse visible

The structure, architecturally interesting in itself, is significant for interpreting the public school history of Delaware and the life of the rural region this specific building served. In 1829 Delaware became the second State to establish a permanent system of genuinely free district public schools. The Octagonal Schoolhouse, opened in 1836, is one of the very few survivals among the buildings erected in the first few years of that movement, and to the best of our knowledge the only one not extensively altered.

(Submitted on April 22, 2025, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 25, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. This page has been viewed 349 times since then and 32 times this year. Last updated on April 12, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 25, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.