Unlike Europe, the mansard roofs were finished in wood instead of brick. ( Log Out /  Boston’s downtown was mostly made up of brick and granite, so they felt somewhat protected from such a threat. In addition, they were stuffed with flammable components like paper stock, textiles and oils. Gas supply lines could not be shut off promptly. thegreatfireinboston." The Industrial Revolution in the North was in full swing and Boston eagerly participated in this economic transition. By the 1850s, the exclusive, highly sought after neighborhood he helped develop began turning into a thriving commercial center. I will also post other historical materials to keep our interests focused. Photo 3 – Present day Franklin Street. To them, Chicago’s tragedy was due to its faulty structure as a wooden city. Feb 16, 2016 - The conflagration began at 7:20 p.m. on November 9, 1872, in the basement of a commercial warehouse at 83-87 Summer Street. Boston was not immune to this level of this destruction. 617-859-2387. There was an abundance of financial capital in the city, so the burnt district was rebuilt in just under two years. Created / Published 1872. Merchants were not taxed for inventory in their attics, therefore offering incentive to stuff their wood attics with flammable goods such as wool, textiles, and paper stocks. [Stereographs of Great Boston Fire of 1872] Summary Photographs show ruined and damaged buildings around Boston in the aftermath of the Great Fire in 1872. In 1871, a fire devastated the city of Chicago. From its simple, puritan beginnings, he changed the city’s façade with European charm, which was inspired by his tour in Europe. It took nearly 12 hours to quench the flames, but by then, the city from Boson Common to the waterfront was unrecognizable. In November of 1872, a ravenous and rapid fire destroyed Boston’s business district. Norman B. Leventhal Map Center Collection. . --Maps Places: Massachusetts > Suffolk (county) > Boston Publisher: Boston : [s.n.] Plan of burnt district by fire of Nov. 9th and 10th, 1872 : ... Plan of the burnt district : showing proposed improvements in ... Russell's map of Boston from the latest surveys : colored to show ... L'incendie de Boston : plan montrant les ravages causés par ... See more downloads (Warped PNG, KML, WMS, Tile URL). The fire was finally contained 12 hours later, after it had consumed about 65 acres of Boston's downtown, 776 buildings and much of the financial district, and caused $73.5 million in damage. One photograph was taken shortly before the fire. Change ). Looters and bystanders interfered with firefighting efforts. Notes: Exhibited: "Boston in the Gilded Age: Mapping Public Places" organized by the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library, 2012-2013. Each box was marked with where keys were kept. “If the streets were to be piped the size necessary for conflagration it would cost millions of dollars,” said Bradlee. Welcome to the History of Boston and Beyond! In the case of the Great Fire of 1872, this delayed the Boston Fire Department (BFD) by twenty minutes. Ironically, the city adopted every recommendation Damrell made for improving fire codes. Buildings were often insured at full value or above value. For reference, the intersection at the upper left corner of the pink area is the location of the Filene's building at Washington and Summer Streets. “The city wouldn’t be justified in making such an expenditure.”. By Serghino Rene . Before the commercialization of the neighborhood, it was the location of one of Charles Bulfinch’s duplex townhouses. Before the fire, the townhouses were replaced with a warehouse for importer William H. Horton & Company. Although devastating, the fire helped fuel Boston’s growth. Source: private collection. Posted by Listen Up! As many as 20 people died. This gave owners no incentive to build fire-safe buildings. ( Log Out /  Blog: The Great Boston Fire of 1872. Before it was brought under control, a large part of downtown Boston would be left in ruins. On November 9, 1872, a fire broke out in Boston's commercial district. Policemen also had keys to the box. City officials criticized Damrell’s firefighting tactics, many of which are still in use today, over the course of several hearings. Extent: 1 map ; 137 x 97 cm. Oliver Wendell Holmes coined the term in a novel in 1861, calling Boston’s elite families “the Brahmin Caste of New England.”. Boston Public Library Norman B. Leventhal Map Center Collection (local): Norman B. Leventhal Map Center Collection Subjects: Great Fire, Boston, Mass., 1872--Maps Boston (Mass.) Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. More than 60 acres of downtown was lost, including nearly 800 buildings. In November of 1872, a ravenous and rapid fire destroyed Boston’s business district. Map of the Great Boston Fire of 1872 Map showing the extent of the Great Boston Fire of 1872, burned area in pink. Photo 2 – Present day Summer Street, looking towards Downtown Crossing. Norman B. Leventhal Map Center Collection. Fire hydrant couplings were not standardized, The number of fire hydrants were insufficient for a commercial district. “Their experience has proved that however well-protected a city may be from ordinary fires, large conflagration are possible.”. Slalemetit of the ninnherofEngines,Hose, and IFoolc Jf Ladder, Carriages, with the nuralerof Menandamount ofHose that attended the great Fire ofNov. “The fire in the city of Chicago is without parallel in the history of the world,” said Damrell. This website was made possible by support from the Boston Public Library, the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Historian; I teach at Suffolk University in Boston, and at the Harvard Extension School. It would prove to be the most destructive fire in Boston's history. The city’s leaders did not heed Damrell’s warning. Since 1867, Damrell would plead with city officials to make changes. It left 300 dead, 100,000 homeless and 18,000 buildings in dust. NYPL The Summer Street fire, Boston, Nov. 9 and 10, 1872‎ (198 F) Media in category "Great Boston Fire of 1872" The following 200 files are in this category, out of 463 total. Boston was a disaster waiting to happen according to Damrell. Here you will find most of the content from Suffolk's very popular HIstory of Boston MOOC, including the videos and links. This website was made possible by support from the Boston Public Library, the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Chief Engineer John Stanhope Damrell was Boston’s fire chief at the time. Over 50 engines came to the aid of the BPD. Email This BlogThis! The underground pipes, originally made for the former residential neighborhood, where inadequate. At least 30 people are known to have died in the fire. For years, he warned the city aldermen of the potential dangers that awaited Boston if changes weren’t made. Just over a year later, a similar tragedy would threaten the beloved city. Boston was becoming a city of Brahmins – a class of wealthy, educated, elite members of Boston society in the nineteenth century. They were unable to produce streams from hoses powerful enough to reach warehouses. A horse flu epizootic had immobilized BFD horses, so fire equipment had to be pulled by volunteers on foot. They included standards for more central fire houses, larger underground pipers, more hydrants and bigger fire engines. At the beginning of the firestorm, Damrell telegraphed for reinforcements from other parts of New England from Maine to Connecticut.