The school was originally attended only by boys; girls were first enrolled in 1812 and the first female teacher was employed in 1818.
As the school’s population expanded it needed more room, and in 1813 the Williams family deeded ninety perches of land to the Meeting for the purpose of building a new schoolhouse. The Meeting chose to construct what was called an “eight-square school,” that is an eight-sided building, a style that was popular at the time, and the building was completed in 1816. The eight-square building served the school well for many years.