The Firefighters of Bellows Falls, Part 2

(This is the second in a three-part series honoring the firefighters of Rockingham and Bellows Falls. You can read the first post in the series here.)

Bellows Falls firefighter Captain Larry Clark, whose life we celebrated in our November post, was born in 1952—the same year that Bellows Falls experienced the largest industrial fire in Vermont history.

That fire broke out in the former Vermont Farm Machine Company, which encompassed the entire length of Island Street. The undated photograph below shows the extent of the building complex set against the backdrop of Fall Mountain. At the time, these buildings were being used by companies processing plastics, milk, and poultry.

The 1952 destruction of the Vermont Farm Machinery buildings, shown ablaze in the haunting photograph below, would begin a 30-year run of major fires that changed the landscape of Bellows Falls forever. The small parking lots in the Square and municipal lots on the Island once were filled with industrial complexes and commercial buildings. Now only ghosts and memories of lost relics remain.

An Intense Burn

On July 12, 1975, the B&M Freight House on the Island burned. It was said this was a training exercise, though the photograph below shows an intense burn. Bellows Falls firefighter Michael Harty, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 68, is shown directing his hose at the blaze.

Locals Look On as Firefighters Battle Flames

On April 17, 1977, The Model Press on Rockingham Street caught fire. This two-and-a-half story building, owned by David White, was located north of Donovan’s, then known as Nick’s Café, which was damaged along with other nearby buildings. The Model Press printed directories and other books.

The following photograph, courtesy of the Bellows Falls Historical Society, shows Bellows Falls firefighters in action while locals (some of whom are comfortably seated on the sidewalk) gather to watch. Local residents today reminisce about watching the fire from the Miss Bellows Falls Diner, where they felt the heat from the fire inside the building! The Saxtons River Auxiliary served refreshments to the firefighters, and the Diner provided food for spectators and firefighters.

The second photograph, also from the collection of the Bellows Falls Historical Society, shows the firefighters at work while a young spectator stands alongside, hands on hips, watching the action. Does anyone know the identity of our bystander?

Westminster Street Downtown Blocks Succumb to Fires

Between 1978 and 1984, major fires destroyed Westminster Street's Cray Block and Dery Block, two Victorian-era brick commercial buildings that helped define the downtown’s historic character. The photograph below, from the front page of the Bellows Falls Times, shows fire consuming the Dery Block.

The Flat Iron building (at that time known as the Corner Store) was damaged in the Cray Block fire, which still looks aflame in the photograph below taken by Brattleboro Reformer reporter Dot Nadeau. Notice that you can’t even see the firefighter, who is penned in by curious residents, including a family with a baby.

In our final post on the firefighters of Bellows Falls, coming later this month, we'll look at the most tragic of the fires to strike Bellows Falls, 1981's Star Hotel Fire. December 29 marks the 44th anniversary of the fire that claimed the lives of firefighters Terry Brown and Dana Fuller.

Questions?

You can email us at any time with questions about the Depot Street Bridge replacement project at developmentassist@rockbf.org.  You can also send us information on the history of the area, which we'll be happy to share with the community through this blog.