It was the summer of 1851 here in Concord, New Hampshire, a summer that our ancestors would remember for many years, tell their children and grandchildren about and become a part of the folklore that continues to be handed from one generation to the next. As the people of Concord slept soundly in their homes the clock struck 11 p.m. on Aug. 21, 1851, and their lives were about to change.
The people living in the Concord community on this hot summer evening were startled awake by the sound of church bells. Shrugging off weariness the people started to rise amidst confusion and walk outside to investigate. The bells in the church steeples were sounding to bring help down to Main Street Concord, there were flames on the horizon and the fire was spreading quickly. The Concord Fire Department Fire Warden was the first to arrive and he made short order of organizing his companies of firefighters to combat the quickly spreading flames.
The early Fire Wardens in Concord directed “bucket brigades” to douse flames with early horse drawn pumper fire wagons. Cisterns were eventually located about our city to supply water for firefighting if needed. Some of the brick lined cisterns still exist to this very day below our city streets from this early period. As the sleepy occupants of Concord ran towards Main Street, they joined the brave Concord Firemen forming more “bucket brigades” with volunteers. There were men, women and children bringing bucket upon bucket of water to the firemen feeding the pumper wagons as the flames were doused with water in every direction. A sense of community was prevalent and welcomed by both the Concord Fire Warden as well as the people that cared for their fellow residents and business owners.
As midnight arrived and the early hours of the morning approached the fire of 1851 continued to spread and consume building upon building. The timber-built structures quickly caught fire and allowed the flames to spread up Main Street from one building to the next. There were Concord Fire Companies from Fishersville, East Concord and West Concord promptly responding at the first sight of the flames. There were 500 men fighting this severe fire as four additional fire engines arrived from Manchester to our south.
It was said that the blaze over Concord could be seen from great distances that night. Reports from Portsmouth, Franconia, and even Portland, Maine, spoke of the light witnessed from the intense flames consuming Main Street Concord. The light from the blaze in neighboring towns was so bright that it illuminated the interiors of the homes where people slept this infamous night.
The next morning as our ancestors somberly walked to Main Street to witness the ruins of the great fire of 1851, they witnessed destruction so severe and shocking that it remained etched in their memories for the remainder of their lives. The Concord Fire Warden determined that fire started towards the rear of the apothecary shop owned by Edward H. Rollins. The Concord Fire Warden stated that he believed the cause was in fact incendiary and the City of Concord offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the culprit responsible.
The area of businesses on Main Street extending south from Park Street to School Street and on the east side extending from Main Street all the way to the railroad tracks was destroyed. The Stickney’s Block, Eagle Coffee House and Merchant Exchange were destroyed by the flames. With the timber built Main Street buildings originally constructed very close the flames made short order of inducing maximum damage to the buildings and goods within. The fire was contained but consumed the entire area of buildings until there was nothing left to burn.
The people quickly organized and worked together to remove the rubble remaining and set about building new structures to allow the shops to once again open. The new buildings were constructed of brick and mortar to alleviate future concerns with another fire of this magnitude.
My great-grandfather told stories to my grandfather about the great fires in Concord during the 1800s. As recent immigrants from Ireland living in the north end, they felt for their adopted community here in Concord and desired to help where they could. Michael Spain became a Concord firefighter and combated the flames on Main Street back in the summer of 1851, his brothers beside him likely working the “bucket brigade” as he operated the pump and directed water towards the flames.
My grandfather recalled the stories which so clearly depicted the great fire of 1851 and spoke of the fear of being awaken as a child by the church bells as he soundly slept, the heat and smell of the burning buildings and the sight of his father running towards Main Street with his bucket in hand.