Mount Savage community raising funds to help rebuild barn destroyed by June fire

Roast beef dinner Sunday

For the Cumberland Times-News

MOUNT SAVAGE — A roast beef dinner Sunday afternoon at the Mount Savage Volunteer Fire Department will benefit the Paul family to help rebuild the barn that was destroyed in a fire June 14.

Along with the fire department members, St. George’s Episcopal, St. Patrick’s Catholic and Mount Savage United Methodist churches are assisting with the dinner from noon to 6 p.m. The community wants to help the Paul family, which has been operating the farm since 1942.

One of the landmark farms in the region, the Paul family farm operated as a dairy farm until 2003, when operations shifted to grass-fed beef and naturally grown vegetables. The farm is now managed by three generations.

On June 14, a family member discovered the barn in flames at about 1:15 am.

Amanda Paul and husband Sam White ran out to attempt to save anything they could. Paul ran into the burning building three times. She was unable to get their two bulls and a steer out but was able to retrieve some equipment before the 14 fire departments responded to the call. Luckily, Paul only received a minor burn on her arm.

The barn that was built in 1901 of oak and American chestnut was a total loss. The family lost more than $180,000 in equipment and hay. Many of the items were irreplaceable tools that were passed down through the generations.

After the fire, family, friends and neighbors assisted the Pauls with cleaning up the destruction. More than 30 tons of manure, 300 tons of scrap metal, 200 tons of hay and an uncountable amount of wood were removed from the foundation.

“Now it is time to rebuild but we don’t have the funds to do so,” said Gene Paul. “My brother Jim, that we lost to heart disease in December of 2008, and my father, Wilbert, and I worked so hard and it’s gone.”

After requesting several quotes from more than 10 companies that specialize in building barns in the tri-state area, the most cost-effective material, not including the labor to build or concrete, is approximately $40,000. The cost to replace the barn to accommodate the cattle is estimated at more than $70,000.

For more information on the dinner, call the fire department at (301) 264-3333.