The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1952-12-18

Some light is thrown on the his
tory of this entire section by a his
tory of the Paradise School, and the
Paramount community, given at the
Paramount Homecoming, by Amos
c. Baer.
The history of the community and
of the school are closely interviewer.
It goes back to the very beginning
of the white man settling in this
valley, actually pre-dating Hagers-
town. It was in 1880 that the now
famous Indian fighter, Col. Thomas
Cressap, settled in the Long Mea-
dows area, just north and east of
what is now Paramount. He built
what is now known as Long Mea-
dows," the great old house just north
of Paramount and nearby, a lesser
known old stone house, originally
"Cressap's Fort" a stronghold for
safety from the then-present In
dams. Some time later he moved
further west, to be nearer the west
ward moving Indians and the from
tier
Some time later came the Harris
Thomas moved into the home once
occupied by Cressap, and here was
born, among other children, a daugh-
ter, LuCretia It was this daughter
who was later to become the wife
of the Statesman and Crater, Henry
Clay. The Harris left this section for
Kentucky in 1894 when Bucretia
was 10 years old Some unconGrm-
ed stories have it that Lucrctia Hart
attended a school near her home, at
the crossroads now Paramount, while
she lived there.
The first school actually on record
at this location was built in 1890. 1t
was in October of 1929 that a public
meeting was called in the home of
Jacob Schmutz. AT this meeting it
was decided to build a public school
at the crossroads, for the benefit of
the neighborhood.
Four days later, Daniel SChlCnCk-
er, one of the trustees, entered into
a contract with John Newman who
obligated himself to build school
house of stone, 25 feet square, feet
high, with walls 20 inches thick, at
the rate of 8512 cents per perch. 1t
was specified that the building was
to have a chimney and one rough
coat of plaster The contractor also
agreed to quarry the stone AT the
rate given here, the masonry work
on this building would have cost
about $81 90. Mr.. M. B. Keener gave
an estimate for the remainder of the
materials and construction, figuring
that at the above rates and prices,
the original school probably cost
about $4,000.
Problems of financing arose. Four
hundred dollars in those days was
as hard to get as many thousands
today The first subscription failed
to raise the required amount, and
others were circulated, and it was
several years before the cost was
all betrayed
While the building was going up,
the now famous DR., Frederick Dor
sey came by. He inquired about the
project, and when told that it was
to be a school, he asked if it had
been named. Told NO" he simply
remarked, Call it Paradise" and
drove on. The name stuck, and so
it was named Paradise"
A brief description of this old
schoolhouse tells that there was a
"ten-p plate" stove in the center of the
room, the teachers desk in one cor
ner by the door, a writing desk for
girls opposite the entrance, and one
for the boys along the north side.
The children sat on slab benches,
without backs. The girls privileged
by having their benches along the
wall, so that there was a wall for
them to sit against But not for the
boys: they sat with no back rest
Toward the middle of the next
century, the one stone wall SHOW
ed tendancey to part company"
The need for new school became
demand, and meeting was called
in 1858. At this meeting, when an
estimate showed the probable cost,
it became evident that subscriptions
already taken would provide only
half enough money for a new build
ing At this, George Petre arose and
stated that he would double his sub
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