71 Years Ago January 17, 2012 Is The Anniversary Of The BFA Fire

[Henry]

Hi all,

According to some of our local residents that The Fairfax Historical Society spoke to back in 1999, it all started out as a normal Friday night.  A number of people were at a basketball game in the old grange hall (Last used as Wold's Book Store) in Main Hill. 

Below is an account that appeared in Monday's Messenger after the fire and at the bottom there is a link to a report of what residents remembered.

The following is from the St. Albans Messenger published January 20, 1941:

The burning of Bellows Free Academy in Fairfax last Friday evening, January 17, 1941, with its entire equipment and records, was a hard blow to that town but arrangements are being made to reopen school in temporary quarters after a two weeks recess in which the necessary preparations will be made. Space will be made usable in the basement of the two Fairfax church buildings, probably, for some of the grade pupils and Supt. Homer E. Hunt has offered the use of his house, which is vacant at present. The day after the fire St. Albans offered the use of a vacant floor of the Fairfield Street School, and from other towns offers of equipment and supplies were also received.

The fire which was visible for many miles filled the entire building with incredible speed following an explosion which was heard by many people in the village and though the alarm was given immediately it was impossible for any one to enter the building.

The Milton Fire Dept. which was called, helped in keeping the buildings at the Hunt place from catching fire. Several of the teachers lost valuable books and supplies of their own, which they were using, and the town's library of about two thousand volumes was also lost.

Bellows Free Academy was a 3-story building built in 1902, and with all equipment the loss is placed from $150,000 to $200,000. It is reported there was $50,000 in insurance on the building. The building was used by about 350 students in both grades and high school.

At our February Quarterly Meeting of The Fairfax Historical Society in 1999 we asked a number of our local people to tell us what they remembered about the night BFA burned on Friday Night, January 17, 1941.

If you would like to read about their remembrances, click on the following link:

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/fhs/bfafire.html

For a slide show of various photos of BFA in the Photo Gallery, click on the following link:

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/photos/slideshow.php?set_albumName=BFA-FAIRFAX

Have a great day,
Henry

[Dick Brown]

Enjoyable reading again .......thanks for posting . There is a reference to the music provided at the dedication in 1942 by " Sterling Weed of St. Albans " but no mention of his position as an employee of BFA.......wonder if he had started teaching at the school yet ?
Many of us were cognizant of Clinton Demerrit as Superintendent of Schools in the 60's & early 70's , but few of us probably ever remembered or recognized the energy ( and creativity ) that he must have had to expend as principal to get the school functioning again so quickly . He also rallied the collaborative spirit among the faculty and the townspeople to adjust to " what was " and to move on to " what will be " .
A fire in January in their school during their senior year and then a declared war in December .  What  must have been the thoughts of the Class of 1941 as they faced their future ?     

[Henry]

Big news here in Fairfax 72 years ago.