The Boston we know today might look very different if it weren’t for one major event that happened here in the 19th century. I’m talking about The Great Boston Fire of 1872. This blaze swept through the city, claiming lives and decimating buildings. Overnight, the landscape of Boston changed forever.

On the evening of November 9, 1872, a fire began at 83-85 Summer Street in the basement of a dry goods store. It’s thought that the steam engine in the basement, which ran the building’s elevator, was where the fire actually ignited.

In the late 1850s, the once-residential neighborhood around Summer Street transitioned into a financial district.
Flickr/City of Boston Archives
Tall, wooden buildings lined the narrow streets. The shift from homes to businesses meant that the water supply was insufficient. These factors combined to create the ideal environment for a devastating fire.

(Pictured: the fire-damaged remains of the second Trinity Church on Summer Street.)
Even after the fire was reported, the fire department struggled to respond because its horses were suffering from equine flu.
WikimediaCommons/By Scan by NYPL
That meant the firefighters had to haul the steam engines to the fire themselves. Boston’s fire department had 106 permanent firefighters, with 363 call men. Reinforcements flooded in from the neighboring states. Together, the firefighters worked through the night to try and contain the flames.

Estimates of the death toll from range from 13 to 30 people. Seven of those who lost their lives were firefighters.
The fire scorched 65 acres of Boston, from Summer to Milk Street and from Washington Street to Boston Harbor.
Flickr/City of Boston Archives
(Pictured: Washington Street after the fire.)

Related Stories

15 Phrases That Will Make You Swear Bostonians Have Their Own Language

15 Phrases That Will Make You Swear Bostonians Have Their Own Language

 Some People Don’t Know That Boston Was The First To Do These 13 Things

Some People Don’t Know That Boston Was The First To Do These 13 Things

 Relax Your Worries Away At This Unique Massachusetts Hotel With A Rooftop Hot Tub

Relax Your Worries Away At This Unique Massachusetts Hotel With A Rooftop Hot Tub
Working together, citizens and firefighters were able to save the Old South Meeting House.
Flickr/Boston Public Library
However, a staggering 776 buildings burned down, leaving 1,000 people homeless and 20,000 jobless.
Flickr/Boston Public Library
Some citizens took advantage of the chaos — 450 people were locked up on looting charges.
This image was taken at the corner of Summer Street and High Street.
Flickr/Boston Public Library
It looks like a wasteland rather than a vibrant city block.
The Great Boston Fire was one of the most expensive fires in terms of property damage in U.S. history.
Flickr/Boston Public Library
Damages amounted to over $73 million, in 1872. If you take inflation into account, that’s almost $1.5 billion in today’s currency.

Afterwards, the city implemented tougher building regulations. Boston rebuilt, spreading into the newly absorbed neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Charlestown. During reconstruction, some Bostonians suggested making the city’s streets follow a pattern.

Mayor Pierce responded: “such a plan would not only involve enormous expense, but severely interfere with the business interest of the city.”

Even though the street layout didn’t dramatically change, this tragic event left a permanent mark on our city.

Unfortunately, the Great Boston Fire isn’t the only disaster that Boston has experienced. We also endured the Cocoanut Grove Fire and the Great Molasses Flood.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Articles