Built in 1910, when Paradise was a substantially larger town, this was built as a two story, five room, brick schoolhouse. Built on a rubble stone foundation it came complete with a large bell tower over the front entrance. There were three classrooms in the upper floor, two on the main floor and a full basement with two general purpose rooms. This school was used continuously as a school for 103 years. At the end of the 2013 school year the school was closed for lack of enrollment, as the student population had dwindled to five.
At present this building is being occupied by artists of Sanders County for the exhibition of their works. They hope to preserve the building to serve, in part, as an arts center for northwest Montana. Afoot in the community are further plans to repurpose the old schoolhouse.
The steps in front of the school have the date of the building's construction, 1910, set in the southeast side and highlighted with wooden numerals. The concrete steps were added well after the building's construction, so the inclusion of the date is somewhat of an afterthought.
When the school closed, several articles on the story were published by various media and outlets. A Jan 26, 2013 article from KPAX TV News is reprinted below.
Paradise School fading into history
Cristy Aranguiz - KPAX News
PARADISE - Paradise School has seen the railroad boom, two World Wars, and the beginning of a new millennium. But with fewer students enrolling every year, this might be the last year that building functions as a school.
"Everybody that talks to me is just sad and heartbroken. A lot of people went to school here. Myself, my mom and dad, I was one of ten children, we all went here. I had five children, they all went here. I had grandchildren that went here," Paradise School Board Chair Karval Pickering recalled.
Pickering was a bit camera shy, but she didn't hold back her sentiments on the soon closure of what acts more like a community center in this small former railroad boom town.
"The best thing on Earth would be if it were full of kids again," Pickering said.
The school opened in 1910 atop a hill at the east end of the town on more than three acres. It had 60 students back in the mid-1940's when Pickering attended, but enrollment has now dropped to just seven students and just two full time teachers.
"It has all those memories of all those kids from all those times, the ups and the downs, the bad times and the good times," Pickering told us.
Most Paradise residents now send their children to the Plains School, and with a majority of the population being retirees on fixed incomes, a tax levy to improve the school and keep it open just doesn't make financial sense.
That's why the Paradise School Board voted in October to close the 102 year old building at the end of the school year.
The fate of Paradise School remains unknown, but the memories and lessons learned here by many residents will remain in their hearts and minds for many years to come.
Some residents have suggested turning the school building into a community center, alternative school or museum. A public meeting will be held at the school gymnasium this coming Tuesday to talk about the issue.
From KPAX - Missoula