PRESS-GAZETTE...Hillsboro, Ohio, Friday, March 18, 1938

OCTAGON-SHAPED SCHOOL HOUSE WAS WIDELY USED..

Sinking Sspring Structure Community Center for Many Years; Taxpayer Refused to
Help Pay for it. .....by..Violet Morgan

Sketches of the history of Sinking Spring and vicinity would not be complete were
 tribute not paid in passing to the odd eight-cornered building around which the life
 of a pioneer community was once centered. This octagon building sits on a corner of 
the town's public square, on the picturesque old Zane trace (SR 41).

Jacob Hiestand, Sr., owner of the large acreage in which the town sprang up, is the 
great great grandfather of Miss Mary Cowman of Hillsboro. He was a noted water 
Witcher. Using a forked, peach-tree branch called a water witch, he had the uncanny 
power of being able to locate water as he walked about the land, holding to both 
prongs by his hands as he pointed the stem towards the earth. The stick would turn in 
his hand when he was near water. It was he who located water sources in and around 
sinking Spring where today are many pumps.

There were 98-voters in Brushcreek township in 1807. This was just 12 years after 
the first settler, John Wilcoxon, arrived to be known thereafter as Highland country's 
first settler, John Wilcoxon, arrived to be known thereafter as Highland county's first 
settler. following him in 1796 were Timothy Marson and Frederick Braucher, Henry 
Countryman, who built the first water mill on East Fork Brushcreek settled here 
about 1803, and Simon Shoemaker, who had become a citizen of the township in 
1802, built a water mill on the same stream in 1806.

Many well-known names are connected with Sinking Spring's early history. Among 
them are found such names as, McKeehan, Hiestand, East, Gall, McClure Frankl9in, 
Byrd, Belleson, Hite, Butler, McClellan, Moorhead, Patton, Easton and Leighton.
Jacob Hiestand, who platted, recorded and named Sinking Spring, Middletown, 
November 27, 1815, and donated the public square to the town, was convinced that 
the town would become the county seat of a new county of the Northwest Territory 
and that a court house would grace the square. This dream never materalized and Mr. 
Hiestand, discouraged because church members thought his enterprise anti-Christian, 
abandoned his plans and sold the land to his son, Joseph Hiestand, Sr., and Allen 
Guilford who completed the work.

The first school, a crude log cabin, was built on the Square by the side of the site of 
the octagon building between 1810 and 1820, with Jesse Dewey and John 
Wickerham among its first teachers. About 1831, when the township was divided 
into school districts, it was decided to build a more modern school, hen=ce the 
octagon brick structure. Why the queer from was chosen is not known. One German 
farmer refused to pay the tax levied upon the district for it because, he said, it was 
nothing but an ugly old smoke house.

The octagon school flourished until about 1845 when it was abandoned for school 
purposes because of its inadequate size and because it stood on public ground.

In 1844 a two-story brick building was build on the east side of Main street, but as it 
was not centrally located, it was sold to Isaac East for a residence. This is still one of 
the prettiest residences in town.

Soon afterwards a frame building was built on Grand street and two teachers were 
employed. The next, and latest building to be erected, is the modern grade and high 
school building which was erected a few years ago.

In the meanwhile the octagon school building was used as a place for council and 
civic meetings and court room for trials held by the justice of the peace. It also 
served as the Sinking Spring high school for several years preceding the building of 
the latest school.

] Many important persons acquired their educations in the tiny, unimposing school 
and went out into the world to make names for themselves. It is said that "all things 
pass" but the octagon school resisting the onslaught of the years, has survived to 
stand, a symbol of its founders' hopes and dreams,--a monument to the patients 
endeavor of those who have gone before.