It was described at the time by local author George Stewart in his 1877 book as a fire that ‘raged with overwhelming violence, carrying in its wake everything that came before it.’
140 years ago today the flames of the Great Fire ravaged over 200 acres of Saint John with over 1600 buildings burning to the ground — the fire laid waste to two-thirds of the city left 13,000 people homeless, and directly claimed the lives of 19 people.
Historian David Goss says it was widely reported throughout the world as one of the most devastating events to have every occured in North America and donations poured in from other places to the tune of about $250,000
“Today that would be about [4.5] million, 4.2-million, so tremendous help came in from other areas. Everybody had serious fires in those years and they rallied around and helped other people when they occured,” Goss tells CHSJ News.
It started the afternoon of June 20, 1877, and according to the New Brunswick Museum, it began when a spark fell into a bundle of hay in the Market Square area though where the spark came from is unknown. Despite the total devastation, Saint John rose from the ashes and rebuilt. Within a year of the fire alone 1300 buildings were constructed.
Goss says a rich collection of Victorian structures were built after the fire.
“The architecture of the downtown core resulted from the fire. It was built to standards that were very high at the time because they didn’t want another fire to occur. So these buildings have stood the test of time because they were well built,” says Goss.
June 20, 1877 the Great Fire of Saint John destroyed about 200 acres and left 13,000 ppl homeless pic.twitter.com/EiLG1RB4yG
— robert boyce (@boyceonteck) June 19, 2017
Goss says he has made the Great Fire part of his Walks n’ Talks and there is one slated to happen tonight at 7:15 tonight, leaving from the Red Rose parking lot on Union Street. He will also be showing some slides in Trinity Church. He says if the weather is bad it will be re-scheduled to tomorrow night, at 6pm call 672-8601 and there will be a voicemail saying so if the walk is rescheduled.
(Top right photo from the Provincial Archives – Reference number: P86-58)
