1966 — Nov 6, rowhouse fire, West Franklin Street, West Baltimore, MD — 8

–8 Baltimore Sun. “Fatal fires. East Baltimore Fire.” 5-23-2007.
–8 Cumberland Evening Times. “Eight Persons Killed…in Baltimore Fire…” 11-7-1966, p. 18.
–8 Frederick Post, MD. “Baltimore Home Blaze Fatal To 8.” 11-7-1966, p. 1.

Narrative Information

Baltimore Sun: “Nov. 6, 1966 Eight people were killed in a house fire in the 1100 block of W. Franklin St.” (Baltimore Sun. “Fatal fires. East Baltimore Fire.” 5-23-2007.)

Newspaper at the time

Nov 7: “Eight persons died Sunday [6th] when fire swept through a three-story house in West Baltimore. The victims included a mother and three of her six children. Four other persons were injured, one seriously, in the blaze that broke out about 2 a.m.

“Officials at Franklin Square Hospital identified the dead as: Margaret Ballard, 38; three of her children – Geraldine, 9; Leon, 4; and Anthony, 2; Catherine Parker, 22; two of her children – Catherine Burley, 3, and Theodore Burley, 18 months; and Eloise Delay, 39.

“Gloria Ballard, 7, another of Mrs. Ballard’s children, was admitted to the hospital in critical condition. Her other two children, Margaret, 12, and Marion, 15, were treated and released, along with James Williams, 22, the hospital said.

“The home was in the 1100 block of West Franklin Street, about 10 blocks from the heart of the downtown area. It was in a block of row houses – a series of structures that connect to each other with no yards between . They normally are narrow, two or three stories high and are found in the older parts of the city.

“Fire officials said they did not know the cause of the blaze.” (Frederick Post, MD. “Baltimore Home Blaze Fatal To 8.” 11-7-1966, p. 1.)

Sources

Baltimore Sun. “Fatal fires. East Baltimore Fire.” 5-23-2007. Accessed 5-27-2016 at: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2007-05-23/news/0705230028_1_baltimore-rowhouse-rowhouse-fire-baltimore-fire

Cumberland Evening Times, MD. “Eight Persons Killed, Four injured in Baltimore Fire, Worst in History.” 11-7-1966, p. 18. Accessed 4-28-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cumberland-evening-times-nov-07-1966-p-3/

Frederick Post, MD. “Baltimore Home Blaze Fatal To 8.” 11-7-1966, p. 1. Accessed 4-28-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/frederick-news-post-nov-07-1966-p-1/