On Saturday, June 6, 2026, step back in time at one of Delaware County’s unique historic treasures.
Dunwoody Village in Newtown Square will host a special open house at the historic Hood Octagonal Schoolhouse, located on the community’s picturesque campus at 3500 West Chester Pike in Newtown Square.
The schoolhouse will be open to the public from 10 AM to 3 PM as part of Historic Newtown Square Day, and visitors of all ages are invited to attend.
The school was built circa 1841-42 by James Dunwoody, father of William Hood Dunwoody, according to the Newtown Square Historical Society.
The schoolhouse replaced an earlier log school built for local children and remained in use throughout much of the 19th century.
William Hood Dunwoody was among the school’s most notable students. He later became a successful grain merchant and was one of the owners of Washburn-Crosby Company, the maker of Gold Medal Flour and predecessor of General Mills.
The school’s unusual octagonal design was considered innovative for its time, allowing natural light to stream through high windows while minimizing distractions for students seated inside.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, the carefully preserved stone schoolhouse now serves as a living history museum where visitors can experience what education was like nearly 200 years ago.
During the open house, members of Dunwoody Village’s resident history committee dressed in authentic period attire will recreate 19th-century classroom lessons in penmanship, arithmetic, history, and science.
Guests will also discover how children learned, played, and interacted in a simpler era before electricity, computers, and modern conveniences.
Set amid Dunwoody Village’s beautiful 83-acre campus, the event offers an opportunity to explore a piece of local history.
Whether you are a history enthusiast, educator, parent, or simply curious about Delaware County’s past, the Hood Octagonal Schoolhouse promises an engaging experience for all generations.
Hood Octagonal Schoolhouse is located on the campus of Dunwoody Village, a five-star rated continuing care retirement community offering independent living, personal care, skilled nursing, memory support, rehabilitation, and home care services for residents and members of the greater community.
Its nearest companion is in Bucks County. The Wrightstown Octagonal Schoolhouse in Wrightstown Township was built in 1802.
Octagonal buildings were most popular in the United States in the 1850s through the 1870s, after the publishing of Orson Squire Fowler’s 1848 book on octagonal houses. The Hood schoolhouse is an early example of that architectural style.
