Revisit the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904

On the anniversary of one of the worst urban fires in American history, Guest Historian Wayne Schaumburg and the Fire Museum of Maryland present the annual Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 Museum and Bus Tour, February 6, 2011, 1 - 4:15 pm. This historic fire destroyed 140 acres of downtown Baltimore in less than thirty hours. The blaze was seen from as far away as Calvert County and Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

At 11 am, on Sunday morning of Feb. 7, 1904, the Baltimore City Fire Department had responded to what they thought was a small, smothering fire in the basement of a dry goods store in the heart of Baltimore. Within minutes the firemen were blown out of the building when it exploded, raining burning embers down on neighboring buildings.

The raging Baltimore Fire was underway. In all, 72 fire companies fought the blaze; 38 of them came from as far away as, New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware, Alexandria, VA, and Washington DC. They fought the flames for nearly 30 hours before it was brought under control.

In the wake of the destruction, there remained a gutted city business district. The Burn District covered 70 blocks with 1,500 buildings and 4 lumberyards destroyed, putting 35,000 people out of work. Over 2,500 businesses were totally destroyed. Stores, banks, and hundreds of office buildings were leveled to the ground in the two-day inferno. Losses have been estimated at more than $150 million, which was a huge sum of money at the turn of the twentieth century. Yet, miraculously, only two human lives were lost, and no individual homes were destroyed.

Schaumburg will give a brief introduction and slide show at the Fire Museum before leading the tour of the downtown area destroyed by the fire. Guests will travel to three locations to grasp the fire’s magnitude and how businesses were affected. A short walking tour of no more than a city block long will occur at each of the three stops. See buildings that survived and still bear the scars. Listen to the stories of individual heroism by not only the firemen but of the citizens of Baltimore. Witness how it changed Baltimore from a seaport town to a modern industrial city.

Upon returning to the Museum, Curator Steve Heaver will discuss the fire-related maps, artifacts, and photographs in the Museum’s extensive collection. Visitors can see one of the horse-drawn fire engines that were used to fight the fire and the water tower, which was one of the first to arrive on the scene. Afterward, participants are invited to enjoy light refreshments, continue the discussion, and shop in the Museum Store.

Reservations required: $45 per person ($40 for members), call 410-321-7500 or email [email protected] before Wed., Feb. 2, 2011. Tickets are available online at www.firemuseummd.org.