10321 Highway 1: The Howard W. Longley Building

Architecture Style: Greek Revival

Built: Before 1900

Long ago, the stagecoach would stop at the Paradise Way Office with passengers and mail. Our first Way Office opened in 1856 in Ambrose Bent’s store at the head of the  Lane, the second on Avard Longley’s property.  His father-in-law, W.H. Troop, was Way Officer.  In March 1873, our first Post Office opened. William F. Morse, Ambrose Bent’s brother-in-law, was the first Postmaster, and Avard Longley’s son Howard the next;  family ties and salaried appointments went together!

Howard was respected in church and community and was also the Station Agent for the Dominion Atlantic Railway. His general store and Post Office had a meeting hall upstairs;  “Longley’s Hall” was good for meetings, but when there was a dance, the floors bounced! When Howard died in 1936, Paradise built a new Community Hall.  Wilfrid Bishop, Municipal Clerk and Treasurer, extended the building to house the County offices and Annapolis District School Board. A cement vault added security. Vern Messenger had a feed store in the front, then Witt Martyn managed a co-op feed store.  Later, Duvernet Cummings’ general store sold beautiful bone china. Wilfrid made apartments upstairs.

The most famous tenant was Otto Strasser, ex-Nazi. A socialist and party founder,  Otto saw through Hitler and broke with him in 1930. Though uneasy, his brother Gregor stayed.  On June 30, 1934, Hitler assassinated all party officials he distrusted. They were lured to “meetings”,  and on cue, were murdered where they sat at dinner or slept. Gregor was taken from his home and killed. Otto began an underground resistance called the Black Front,  but had to flee Germany.  Around 1945 he came to Paradise, a “prisoner of Ottawa” until 1953;  the Canadian Government was wary of his nationalism.  A courteous neighbour in his exile, he was befriended by Wilfrid and Thelma. He and his secretary, Margarita, were kind to children who came to the door and found him in the midst of his letters and manuscripts; he always had candy for them.  Back in Germany, Otto’s ambitions died, but with other businessmen, he imported Nova Scotian lobster.

Wilfrid’s son Allan ran the service station across the road, and he and Verna [Todd] lived here with their children: Darin, Jill, Sherri, and Peter. When they built their own home nearby, they continued to rent out the apartments.