The Octagonal School House

The Octagonal Schoolhouse (Old Eight Square Schoolhouse)

The Octagonal Schoolhouse was built in 1802 and is located at Swamp Road and Second Street Pike (Rte 232) in Wrightstown Township, Bucks County PA. It was built on what is commonly called the Old Thompson Farm. A group of residents, mainly Quakers and Presbyterians, banded together to lease the land upon which the school would be built. The lease was obtained from Joseph Burson. Hugh Thompson (1764-1847) and wife Mary Praul Thompson (1763-1855) had purchased the farm (164 acres) from Hugh’s brother William (1774-1832) in exchange for Hugh and Mary’s 133-acre property in Newtown. Hugh later sold the farm (or parts thereof) to their daughter-in-law’s father Joseph Burson. Burson issued a 99-year lease for a couple of acres for which an 8-square school could be built. Much funding for school construction came from Hugh Thompson.

The 8-sided form allowed the maximum amount of light to enter at all times. Oil lamps and candles provided meager light for young eyes. The building had a door on one side and windows on each of the other sides. The windows were not large. Heat in the winter was provided by a small stove in the center of the room, with a stovepipe at the peak of the room. The walls were usually whitewashed to give a cleaner, lighter environment. This design was used for over 100 schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. The school, while not in use, remains. Use was discontinued around 1850.

It is easy to love the old poet's song of the period: "I love, I love it, and who shall dare, To chide me for loving the old Eight square."