Art Of Penmanship Showcased At Octagonal School Open House In Wrightstown

WRIGHTSTOWN, PA — Wrightstown resident, penman, and historian Robert Hurford will demonstrate the craft of exquisite penmanship as practiced in the 18th and 19th centuries during a one-day show and open house at Wrightstown's Octagonal School, on Sunday, July 19.

From 1 to 5 p.m., Hurford will guide visitors through the teaching of penmanship in academies like the Octagonal School, and how it evolved into a uniquely American style and artform. He will also demonstrate Spencerian-style ornamental penmanship and offhand flourishing.

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Wrightstown will celebrate the nation's 250th by displaying and reading a full-size facsimile of the Declaration of Independence, the most famous work of Timothy Matlack, clerk to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Also on display will be a colored map of properties and landholders in Wrightstown Township in 1776.

Local farmers and residents built and operated the Wrightstown Octagonal School as a private subscription academy from 1802 to 1850. Although not a sectarian religious school, many of its trustees, teachers, and sponsors were members of the Wrightstown Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers). It closed in 1850 as public schools were established in Wrightstown and throughout Pennsylvania.

The Wrightstown Octagonal School is a historical museum owned by Wrightstown Township and operated by its Historical Commission. The school is located at 2091 Second Street Pike, at the intersection with Swamp Road. Parking is accessed via the Swamp Road entrance.