Recovery After the Fire

On the afternoon of June 25, 1914, Salem was rocked by an explosion at the Korn Leather Factory in the Blubber Hollow neighborhood along the North River. Minutes later, at 1:37pm, the first alarm sounded at fire box 48 on Boston Street. Despite efforts to extinguish the blaze, the fire quickly spread, moving southward on a strong wind that carried sparks from one burning building to another. For almost 15 hours the fire raged as local firefighters joined forces with fire companies from more than 20 other communities and 1,700 state militiamen to contain the blaze. When the fire was finally contained the next day, city residents and officials were left reeling from the physical devastation:

Life in the tent camp at Forest River ParkPhotograph by M.E. Robb of Forest River Camp, summer 1914, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum — *Life in the tent camp at Forest River Park*
*Photograph by M.E. Robb of Forest River Camp, summer 1914, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum*

250 acres of the city lay in smoldering ruins
More than 1,600 building destroyed
More than $15 million in damages (equivalent to $350 million today)
More than 1/3 of city residents were homeless, jobless or both

Recovery Efforts

Within days, Salem residents, officials and individuals throughout Massachusetts mobilized to aid the stricken city. The National Guard provided order and the Red Cross distributed supplies. A local Relief Committee was established to oversee continuing relief efforts and Salem churches, Boy Scouts and other local lodges and societies assisted in the efforts. Tent camps were set up for the homeless, volunteers gathered to serve food and distribute clothing, and people throughout the state donated to the relief effort. This generous spirit was recognized in a newspaper article shortly after the fire acknowledging those who had donated to the city, a fundraising effort that had raised almost $130,000 (equivalent to more than $1 million dollars today.)

Refugees__Barber_Shop_Open_for_Business_Boston_Street.jpg

Images and newspaper articles in the months after the fire demonstrate the resiliency of Salem residents - a barber setting up a tent barber shop after the fire destroys his house; thousands of residents of all religious faiths coming together to celebrate an open air mass amidst the tent camp in Forest River Park.

Efforts to rebuild were just as swift - City officials appointed a Rebuilding Commission to oversee reconstruction, including the construction of new public buildings and parks, improvements to street layouts, and the development of new building code regulations to prevent future fires. Remarkably, construction on the first new building in the burned area was started by early July. Within two years, much of the Point Neighborhood was rebuilt and public buildings and parks including Saltonstall School and Lafayette Park were constructed. Streets were widened and straightened and new trees were planted.