Celebrate Local History at the
Annual Eight Square Schoolhouse Festival

Saturday, August 23rd, 12-4pm
Free and Open to All!!!

Please join us for our annual Eight Square Schoolhouse Festival at New York State’s only brick octagonal schoolhouse. The Eight Square Schoolhouse is located at 1748 Upper Hanshaw Road, just around the corner from Route 13, across the street from High Speed Checkweighers.

Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy!

Featuring:

* Folk Music by June Apple
* Purity Ice Cream Social
* Local Fiber Artist Demos
* Rhonda Gilmore,
Schoolhouse Historian
* 1892 Mini-Classes
* Field Day Games
* Arts and Crafts for Kids
* Quilt RAFFLE!

Raffle Information:

This year’s grand prize is a beautiful handmade quilt, crafted by the Tompkins County Quilters Guild.

The drawing will be held on October 11, 2008.

Prices are $5.00 per ticket or 5 for $20. Stop by the History Center to purchase your tickets, or call 273.8284 x 3 for more information.

Tickets are also available at:

• Quilters Corner at Community Corners
• Viking & White Sewing Gallery, located in JoAnne Fabric the Triphammer Mall
• Hairy Canary Hair Salon downstairs in the Clinton House
• Kitschen Sink at 210 Elmira Road
• The Tompkins County Quilters Guild

The schoolhouse has been an integral part of Tompkins County history since it was built in 1827, when it ran over budget and incurred a total construction cost of $550. During it’s inception, the teachers were supplied a salary of $172 for 11 and one half months of teaching. Parents of children attending the school were asked to supply wood to help heat the building during the winter, as well as pay school taxes. The schoolhouse was officially closed in 1941, when school districts became centralized and children were bussed to school.

The Eight Square Schoolhouse Festival is sponsored by Dryden Mutual Insurance. For more information about the Eight Square Schoolhouse Festival, the living history program, or the History Center in Tompkins County call (607) 273-8284.