In the early morning hours of March 13, 1904, Henry Jones, the night watchman of the W.E. Hayward and W.S. Schuster Woolen Co. sounded the mill’s steam whistle, waking the townspeople from their slumber. Jones had seen flames coming from the Central Block. There was a fire. A fire that threatened to burn the town.
Once upon a time, at the turn of the 20th century, in place of today’s Post Office, once stood the Central Block. Built in 1884, the Central Block was a 100 by 60 feet, four story building that truly was the social center of the town. The top floor, known as Central Hall, was the largest auditorium in town where traveling shows would stop. Also, the first of the traveling movies was shown here. At one time, there was a Roller Skating Rink , which was all the rage for the young people. Skating parties and dances with full orchestras. The third floor was home to the Swedish Congregational Church. There were dental offices, law offices and the printery of Charles J. Batchellor. The first floor was The People’s Store owned by John W. Irving.
Right next door to the Central Block was the Methodist Church, built in 1872. Inside the church was an organ, valued at $1,000 ($36,000 today 😲). From its steeple hung the great bell, which had been cast in Sheffield, England back in 1869.
Mechanic’s Block, built in 1871, stood behind the Methodist Church. Joseph Bowen (undertaker), Albert Leach (harnessmaker) and George Gleason (wheelwright) all ran their businesses out of this block.
Did Henry Jones’ warning come in time to save these buildings?
The mill’s whistle accomplished its goal. It awoke the town, bringing to the fire not only the Volunteer Town Fire Department but also the emergency firemen for the Hayward & Schuster Mill and the firemen at the American Ax and Tool Company (formerly the Douglas Axe Manufacturing Company). Unfortunately, by the time the three fire departments responded to the Central Block, the building was past the point of being saved. It is said that from when the flames were first spotted, it only took another forty minutes for the walls to fall.
Thirty feet next to Central Block stood the Methodist Church, where the southeast winds were pushing the flames. The fire quickly spread and consumed the church. The local paper said the following:
“The destruction of the church was picturesq. Fire caught first on the south side. This worked under the spire and before the roof caved in, the Steeple Toppled Over into the alleyway. With the steeple came the great bell…the bell was badly cracked by the fall.”
Next to the church, not even fifteen feet away, was Balcome Block. Despite the winds and the fierce fire, somehow Balcome Block was not even scorched by the flames.
The same could not be said for Mechanics Block. The firefighters were able to contain the fire before the entirety of the block was lost. Unfortunately, Mr. Bowen, the undertaker and Mr. Leach, the harnessmaker, suffered most of the damage, while Mr. Gleason, the wheelwright and carriagemaker’s loss was minimal.
The Charles J. Batchellor Printery at the time of the fire was currently in possession of half of the 1904 Town of Douglas Annual Report, preparing it for printing. The report was lost and the townspeople were advised to expect a significant delay in the release of the 1904 report.
Four days before the fire took place, the New England Telephone & Telegraph Company had opened a Central Office in the north corner of the Central Block. This was a new automatic exchange, the first of its kind to be installed in this section of the country. This new type of exchange made it possible for calls to be made and connections to be obtained without a central operator. The coverage in the newspaper said that while the cost of this new exchange could not be learned, they were told it was “expensive.”
It was estimated that there was about $30,000 total in loss for a fire that began around 5:45 in the morning and was considered under control less than two hours later at 7:30 am. The cause of the fire was never determined, however it was believed to be incendiary.
While the loss was significant, it is important to note that all reports praise the three fire departments and firefighters that responded to the blaze. These men certainly had their fair share of bumps and bruises, but fortunately no serious injuries. The townspeople, who were certainly there as spectators, also made sure that the men had food and drink to keep them going.
On January 18, 1905, the Methodist Church once again opened its doors for worship. A collection was taken up by the townspeople to rebuild and it was quickly done. A little less than 20 years later, on February 24, 1923, the new Town Hall was dedicated, standing in what was once the ruins of the Central Block fire. Mechanic’s Block continued to stand for another 69 years and was taken down in 1973.
If you would like to view pictures of the Central Block, the aftermath of the fire and two separate accounts, you can view them HERE.
Bibliography :
Marsh, Lucius J. History of places in Douglas. Douglas, MA: Lucius J. Marsh, 1959.
General, The 250th Anniversary Committee. Time and Town: Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Town of Douglas, Massachusetts. Douglas, MA: [Publisher unknown], 1996.
Anthony H. Coppola Collection, 2018.01, Simon Fairfield Public Library, Historical Archive.