Students using the lengthy fire escapes at the old Packerton High School like an amusement park ride are a thing of the past.

The fire escapes are gone, but the memories remain as the nearly 6,000-square-foot building, located just off Route 209 between Lehighton and Jim Thorpe, celebrates its 100th anniversary."There is still a lot of history here," said Donald "Duke" Blauch, current owner. "Unfortunately to keep everything up to code, a lot of things had to be updated and replaced, but it comes with the territory when you have an old building."Blauch bought the building, originally named the Mary Packer Cummings Memorial School, in 2003 from the Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit for $93,250. After an original plan to convert it to office and storage space fizzled, he renovated the school and leased it to Behavioral Health Associates, which remains the tenant today."I know Joe Trimmer Jr., who owns BHA, and we had a conversation where we agreed the building would work for them as a campus," Blauch said.The school, aptly named Packer Ridge Academy, opened in 2008 and is starting the 2014-15 school year with 55 students.A chance to succeedStudents are referred to BHA, a licensed alternative 8th through 12th grade school, from their home school district."We pull from 26 school districts over five counties and the idea is that every kid deserves a chance to succeed," said Michele Palko, Packer Ridge Academy school administrator.Also operating out of the building is the eBridge Academy, an online education program. Students enrolled in eBridge Academy get schooling at home and graduate from their home schools.A "Meet the Staff" night is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. on Sept. 3 at the school."Given the anniversary, that would be a great time for people to come out and see the building," Palko said.Mary Packer Cummings, daughter of Asa Packer, provided funds for the building to the Packerton School District in 1914. The George Dolan family gifted around six acres of land.According to a 1913 report of the state superintendent of public instruction, Cummings left $40,000 for the school's construction."This site, in situation and size, provides the Packerton District with the finest school grounds in this county," the report stated.The building, formally dedicated on Thanksgiving Day in 1915, originally featured eight classrooms, a recreation area, auditorium and office space.According to local historian and Lehighton resident Lamont "Mike" Ebbert, tenth grade was the highest level at the school and students spent their final two years at Lehighton High School on Third Street.Lehighton School District used the site for its junior high school through the mid-1960s. After Lehighton built a new high school, it put the property up for sale.Following the sale, Lehighton resident Gordon Ripkey came into possession of two portraits previously displayed in the school."One is of Mary Packer Cummings and the other is of George Dolan," Ripkey said. "Those portraits are eventually going to go in the old school building on Third Street in Lehighton. They are trying to get a collection of things to put in there."In 1993, the Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit purchased it for $42,750 and initially used it to house a special needs program, and later maintenance and storage until 2003.TreasuresRelics still in the building are few and far between, but Blauch did uncover a few treasures during the renovation."We know the building is 100 years old, but we found at least one piece in the basement that dates back even further," Blauch said.The piece is a broken stone marker that reads, "This Building Was Donated To The Packerton Ind. School Dist. By Hon. Asa Packer; Built 1873."An 1878 article in the Carbon Advocate likely details the building referred to on the marker."The Packerton Independent District has an excellent new brick schoolhouse, received as a present from the Honorable Asa Packer," the article states.The two-and-a-half-inch slate steps are original, as is an attic door with no visible way to get to it."That door always kind of spooked me," Palko said. "It's very mysterious."Attic door aside, BHA is comfortable in the building, making its future bright despite its age."At 55 students to start the year, our numbers are good and right where we would want them to be," Palko said. "We're very happy here."