The 1967 Main Street fire
By Erik Pekar, Town Historian
The fire that severely damaged the Wilmarth building in Greenwich last month brings to mind the fires that have affected Granville’s Main Street. There have been many, the most recent of which damaged two buildings in 2012. However, the last of the large-scale, multi-building fires to impact Main Street was the fire of 1967.
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The morning of March 12, 1967 started out like any other Sunday morning of the time. The early birds were at the local diners, having coffee, breakfast, or even donuts. Sometime after 7:30 a.m., something started to seem amiss at Scottie’s Luncheonette on Main Street. The accounts differ – some say smoke came up from the garbage disposal entrance; another account had one customer, upon receiving his breakfast, asked why there was pepper in his eggs when he didn’t ask for any. Whatever the reason, Angelo Scott Jr. decided to check the basement, which he found full of fire and smoke. The fire was called in. The alarm was sounded at 7:42 a.m., but it was accidentally set to 1-1 (the testing alarm) rather than 2-2 (Main Street).
Upon arriving at the scene, the three Granville village fire companies and village Fire Chief Curley Williams found the situation was beyond their capabilities; a request was made for mutual aid. The fire at Scottie’s had been put out by the water at 9 a.m. and it appeared the situation was over.
Just after 9 a.m., flames appeared going up partitions into the adjacent buildings. The firefighters promptly began pouring thousands of gallons of water at the flames to stop the fire. With this development, William J. Norton of Wilson’s remarked, “If they can’t stop it here, we’re in real trouble.” The fire then went to the rooftops, spreading to the east and west. At this time, fire companies of communities in the area arrived on the mutual aid request, including Penrhyn Hose (Middle Granville), North Granville, Skenesborough (Whitehall), West Pawlet, Vermont, Hartford, Fort Ann, Kingsbury, Queensbury, Hudson Falls, and Argyle. Salem’s company was stationed at the Penrhyn Hose firehouse in Middle Granville, prepared in the event that another fire was called in the area while all these fire companies were fighting the fire on Granville’s Main Street.
Many obstacles stood in the way of the firefighters, including the cold weather, smoke, flames, and unstable building structures, particularly roofs. In the face of this, the firefighters labored with the maximum effort to contain the fire. If the fire couldn’t be contained, it would spread across the entire row building section of the north side of Main Street. The firefighters fought the flames by using water hose lines from both Main Street and from the rear of the buildings.
During the fire, firefighters with smoke inhalation were taken by the Granville Rescue Squad to the Emma Laing Stevens Hospital. Joseph Forcucci had burns to the forehead and eyes. Raymond Severance had a heart attack and died shortly after arrival at the hospital.
After five hours, around 1 p.m., through the combined efforts of the fire companies, the major fire on Main Street was contained and out.
The six buildings affected, named by occupant business and their owners, were: Granville Pharmacy, John Belemjian and Bob Brown; Bascom’s Variety Store, Romaine Bascom; Wilson’s Clothing, William and John Norton and Carleton Wilson; Harry’s Restaurant, Jack and Lucretia Pacyna; Scottie’s Luncheonette and the Treasure Chest gift shop, both Angelo Scott Jr.
Fire walls between the Bert E. Yurdin newsroom and the Granville Pharmacy, and between the Treasure Chest and the L.E. Roberts jewelry store, prevented the fire from spreading further. It was noted that there were fire walls between the six buildings burned, but these only went to the top of the second floor, not past the rooflines.
Some merchandise was recovered from the Treasure Chest (including long-play records) and clothing from Wilson’s, both of which were later sold at deep discounts at fire sales. The other businesses were absolute losses, inventory included. Total loss from the fire was estimated at $750,000.
The business owners did rebuild, but it took several months to sort out insurance and decide how the buildings would be rebuilt. The revived businesses reopened from October to December of 1967. Bascom’s closed during the summer in its temporary store; the property was sold to the owners of Wilson’s, allowing them to expand their store space.
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The area behind the row of buildings on Greenwich’s Main Street that included the Wilmarth building is paved and level and is used for parking and delivery access. On the other hand, the creation of a parking area and truck delivery access behind the north side of Granville’s Main Street, by leveling and raising the land, has been proposed several times since the 1930s. Some of those proposals included offers from local slate companies to contribute scrap slate as filler. None of these proposals have come to fruition.
As a result, the back area behind the north side of Granville’s Main Street has never been improved and is ill-maintained. The driveway changes elevation drastically, with the section behind the buildings from Joel Carpenter’s office to the Crawford building being about two basements below Main Street level. While the driveway behind Main Street was clear and well maintained in 1967, it has deteriorated in recent years and is now filled with potholes and ruts.
During the Wilmarth building fire last month, at least one water line was aimed at the fire from the rear of the building. The fire company or companies that went behind the building had an easy location from which to set up, since the area behind the building was level and paved.
If a fire occurred again on the north side of Granville’s Main Street like that in 2012, or to the extent of the 1967 fire, firefighters would have a bad disadvantage in attempting to also fight the fire from the rear of the buildings, due to the inconsistent elevation behind Main Street, as well as the access driveway’s bad condition.
The solution to this situation on Granville’s Main Street is to build the long-proposed parking and delivery access area. There would be another area for Main Street shoppers to park, in addition to the two already existing public parking areas. Business owners would have a place to park as well, and easier access to the back of the buildings. Deliveries would be made behind Main Street rather than taking up street parking spaces and snarling traffic. Importantly, the level ground of such an area would aid in the fighting of any future fire that could involve that part of Main Street. The parking-access area would be a great improvement for Main Street.
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