HISTORY OF FORT HILL HIGH SCHOOL
Origins: New Deal Funding
Fort Hill High School was constructed primarily as a result of Public Works Administration (PWA) funding, a New Deal program of the Franklin Roosevelt administration. The Great Depression of the 1930s drove national unemployment to roughly 25%, creating widespread economic distress and dislocation. In response, New Deal legislation established a variety of federal programs and agencies designed to reduce unemployment while directly benefiting local communities. Two of the most significant were the Public Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
Locally, the WPA oversaw projects such as Constitution Park, Greenway Avenue Stadium, and a number of smaller initiatives, while larger public buildings — including Fort Hill High School — fell under PWA jurisdiction.
Funding, Bids, and Construction
New Deal funding related to Fort Hill was formally initiated in November 1934 and September 1935, when the PWA committed federal funds not to exceed $230,000 under PWA Docket #7323. Additional sources brought the total pledged for the school to $600,000.
Bids were advertised, prepared, and submitted to local officials. On April 5, 1936, George Hazelwood, a local contractor, was announced as the lowest bidder at $557,809. Since the initial contract did not include funding for the auditorium, the superintendent of schools was authorized to explore requesting an increased grant from the PWA. Subcontractors on the project included William M. Clark of New Castle, Pennsylvania, and Sterling Electric Company of Cumberland, Maryland.
Naming the School
The naming of the new school prompted discussion, with suggestions including Queen City High School, Potomac High School, Fort and Hill High School, and Fort Hill High School. On August 12, 1936, the Allegany County Board of Education unanimously settled on Fort Hill High School.
The "Fort" in the name refers to a Civil War skirmish at Nave's Crossroad, often called the Battle of Folck's Mill, in which Union troops fortified the high ground above the mill against Confederate forces.
Critics and Legacy
At the time, critics questioned the effectiveness of New Deal programs, satirizing them as "We Poke Along" or "We Piddle Along" make-work schemes. Fort Hill High School and Constitution Park stand as a rebuttal to those critics, having provided eight decades of service to Cumberland residents.
Opening and Early Years
Fort Hill opened with 1,763 students and 88 teachers, under its first principal, Mr. Heisey. The curriculum included English, Mathematics, French, Latin, History, Home Economics, Physical Education, Industrial Arts, and Journalism, with music taught to the seventh and eighth graders who were also housed in the building. Weekly assemblies alternated between the junior high and senior high.
Mr. Heisey was said to command complete control over the school and its student body — accounts describe him walking across the stage at an assembly of nearly 2,000 students in complete silence. Margaret Smith, a member of the school's first graduating class, proposed the school motto, "Res, Non Verba" ("Deeds, Not Words"), which remains in use today.
Renovations and Additions
The school has undergone several renovations and expansions over the decades:
- 1980 — A new gymnasium was built adjacent to the original facility.
- 1991–92 — A major renovation added a music wing, greenhouse, and art rooms. A notable feature of this phase was the redesigned courtyard, which incorporated additional classrooms, a playground, and a patio with picnic tables.
