1924 – Feb 15, Fire, Lawrence Building, Main Street, Montpelier, VT                          —     11

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-9-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–11  NFPA. “Loss of Life Fires in Apartments and Store Buildings.” Quarterly, 34/3, Jan 1942, p. 263.

–11  NFPA. “The Lawrence Building Fire, Montpelier, Vt.,” NFPA Quarterly, V.17, N.4, 1924.

–11  NFPA.  U.S. Unintentional Fire Death Rates by State.  December 2008, p. 25.

–11  North Adams Transcript, MA. “Bodies of Seven Victims Sought.” 2-16-1924, p. 1.

Narrative Information

National Fire Protection Association: “The Lawrence Building on Main Street, Montpelier, Vermont, was destroyed by fire on the morning of February 15, 1924, with the loss of eleven lives. The building was an ordinary brick joisted structure of four stories and basement erected in 1896. It was occupied on the first floor by a retail hardware store, a retail grain and feed store, and a grocery store. On the second floor were various offices and on the third and fourth floors were apartments with a small private dance hall on the fourth floor. There was a wide, open stairway from the street to the second floor and an open galleried shaft extending from the second floor to the roof, with a thin glass skylight at the top. There was a fire escape at the rear which opened into the dance hall on the top floor and a private apartment on the third floor. All of the doors to the rooms leading to the fire escape were kept locked. There were no signs indicating from the corridors where the fire escape was located.

Story of the Fire.

“The fire started in the hardware store shortly after midnight. The fire burned for some time, finally generating enough gas to cause a smoke explosion which communicated the fire to all parts of the building. The fire was first noticed by a man on duty in the police station next door who looked out of the window and saw the whole end of the building in flames.

“The fire department consisting of a chief and five permanent men responded. Upon their arrival the first and second stories were all ablaze and tenants were trapped on the upper floors. The ladders on the truck which responded were too short to reach the upper stories, and as the regular ladder truck was located at some distance from the center of the town in the city stable and was procured by a call man not directly notified of the fire, it arrived too late to be of value.  Life nets were put in operation but they were not handled to the best efficiency as the department was shorthanded.  The fire whistle failed to complete the alarm, resulting in considerable delay in getting the call men to the scene. Seven people were saved by the nets. Two lost their lives by missing the nets. A number of those rescued received severe injuries. Nine occupants were cut off from escape and were suffocated or burned to death.

“The fire was fought with twelve hose streams. The water supply was satisfactory throughout. The fire was brought under control in about four hours. Adjoining buildings were not damaged. The loss to the property was approximately $150,000.

Conclusions.

“This fire again emphasizes the great danger to life in allowing upper floors over mercantile and manufacturing occupancies in buildings of ordinary construction to be occupied for dwelling purposes, especially where there are inadequate exit facilities, and in smaller cities and towns not equipped with adequate life saving devices.  The open stairway from top to bottom of the building as usual acted as a flue for the fire and cut off escape for the occupants.

“The fire escape proved practically useless as a means of exit. The Vermont law does not require fire escapes on buildings of this kind occupied by tenants, other than for the accommodation of an amusement or public hall located in the building. The importance of adequate apparatus and personnel for fire-fighting is amply demonstrated.” (NFPA. “The Lawrence Building Fire, Montpelier, Vt.,” NFPA Quarterly, V.17, N.4, April 1924, pp. 382-384.)

Newspapers

Feb 15, Lowell Sun, MA: “Montpelier, Vt., Feb. 15. – Two persons were killed and nine are missing and believed to have lost their lives in a fire which destroyed the Lawrence building on Main street early today. A number of others were seriously injured. The loss is estimated at $300,000. The known dead are Walter Washburn, a prominent insurance man and Mason, and Mrs. J. F. Walterman. Both sustained fatal injuries when they jumped from windows and missed the lifenet…” (Lowell Sun, MA. “Disastrous Fire in Montpelier, Two Killed, Nine Missing.” 2-15-1924, p. 1.)

Feb 16, North Adams Trannscript, MA: “Montpelier, Vt., Feb. 16 – Firemen worked all last night in their search for bodies in the ruins of the Lawrence building destroyed here yesterday with the loss of eleven lives. Seven bodies have yet to be recovered. The searchers were in danger from water five feet deep in the cellar, and several men had narrow escapes from falling into the pool through the debris on the ground floor of the building. Fire broke out again in the ruins shortly before midnight, but was extinguished.” (North Adams Transcript, MA. “Bodies of Seven Victims Sought.” 2-16-1924, p. 1.)

Sources

Lowell Sun, MA. “Disastrous Fire in Montpelier, Two Killed, Nine Missing.” 2-15-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-9-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lowell-sun-feb-15-1924-p-21/

National Fire Protection Association. “Loss of Life Fires in Apartments and Store Buildings.” Quarterly, 34/3, Jan 1942, pp. 263-265.

National Fire Protection Association. “The Lawrence Building Fire, Montpelier, Vt.,” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 17, No. 4, April, 1924, pp. 382-384.

National Fire Protection Association (John Hall, Jr.). U.S. Unintentional Fire Death Rates by State. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 31 pages, December 2008.

North Adams Transcript, MA. “Bodies of Seven Victims Sought.” 2-16-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-9-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/north-adams-transcript-feb-16-1924-p-1/