In 1798, Allegany County, Maryland moved to establish its first public school. Originally named the “Visitors of Allegany County School”, the school was eventually named the Allegany Academy. Remaining open for more than 100 years, the school operated in two locations. Though the academy closed in 1929, its final location became the home of the Cumberland Free Public Library in 1934. It is now the Washington Street Library, a branch of the Allegany County Library System.
In 1798, Maryland’s General Assembly enacted legislation that created western Maryland’s first public school.1 The act allowed for the purchase of one acre of land, established a board of visitors to run the school, and provided financial support from the State amounting to $200 annual.2 The school’s first building was a single story brick structure located on the current site of The Shrine of Saints Peter and Paul, at 125 Fayette Street.3
In 1849, private funds were raised for the construction of a new building for the academy. At a final cost of $5,000 the new school opened on June 8, 1850. At this time the school calendar ran for eleven months with a one month break in August.4 By the 1890’s, the school became a military style academy, students wear uniforms and drilled.5 Allegany County Academy had already established a football team by 1896. One player, Sol Metzger, went on to play for the University of Pennsylvania, and served head coaching stints at West Virginia University, Washington and Jefferson, and the University of Pennsylvania. He later became a sports writer.6