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Before the Fire > The
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19th Century Media> Documenting
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Shock
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"Sixty-two
Buildings Burned Saturday Night… property
to the amount of a quarter of a million dollars
destroyed-hundreds of residents homeless and many
summer visitors driven from their retreats…"
-Cottage City Star, 15 August 1883.
If one memorable event affected thousands of people
on Martha's Vineyard during the 19th century,
it was certainly the Great Fire of Vineyard Haven.
On the 11th of August in 1883, nearly 80 buildings
of various proportions were destroyed by sweeping
flames; only piles of ashes and skeletal chimneys
remained of the once-bustling Main Street. Remarkably,
no one was killed. The scene immediately afterward
was one of despair. While some people were dubious
that the area could ever rebound from such a disaster,
many others remained hopeful. As a result of the
growing enthusiasm and strong work ethic of the
Island, Vineyard Haven did indeed recover.
Drawing from the archives of the Martha's Vineyard
Museum, the story of one night in August and its
aftermath was easily pieced together with newspaper
articles, personal letters, and photographs.
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"VINEYARD
HAVEN IN ASHES"