An old Scarborough story

Big thanks to Scott Leonard, who runs the excellent Old Blue Genes blog over at http://oldbluegenes.blogspot.com/. He dropped me a line this weekend because he thought some of you Strange Maine readers would be interested in a story he recently did a piece on, and I think he's right:

The Clukey Fire of 1949
http://oldbluegenes.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-clukey-fire-of-1949.html

As with many stories of bygone days, the newspapers tell a disjointed and partial version of the tale, revising the events that led up to a disaster as the witnesses step forward with different stories each time. This one is particularly convoluted, and in the end I don't know that the final version of events made anyone particularly happy. But it did make for a lot of newspaper coverage.

Scott Leonard delves into the murky ashes of the fire that killed WWII veteran George Clukey, and the history of Vinegar Road in Scarborough, Maine, where he lived.

Check it out!

Breaking News- Fire at Zinnia's!

We got a call (thanks McNallica!) that the old Zinnia's building at 660 Congress Street near Longfellow Square in Portland, across the street from my bookshop, The Green Hand, and next to my husband's shop, The Fun Box Monster Emporium, was on fire. There was smoke blowing through the block onto Deering Street as we arrived just before 10:00.

Firemen were breaking out the top story windows as we arrived on the scene. An early eyewitness report mentioned an overheard conversation between a few people talking on the stoop of the building shortly before the fire, the topic of their conversation being about breaking into various buildings. More news as warranted.

UPDATE:
Photos now online here, on my Flickr site. A few included below.

Norlands ravaged by inferno

On my way to get coffee this morning, I was shocked and saddened by the huge story on the front page of the Portland Press Herald in the vending box I passed. Going online to find out what had happened, the story unfolded, as well as a posting on Craig's List with a plea for help. I'll post both the story and the link for assistance to Norlands below.

WMTW posted a terse article about the fire, which has video footage included:

Washburn-Norlands Fire Deemed Accidental
POSTED: 10:41 pm EDT April 28, 2008
UPDATED: 3:29 pm EDT April 29, 2008

LIVERMORE, Maine -- Fire heavily damaged the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center in Livermore Monday night. It broke out just after 9 p.m. in the barn and by the time firefighters arrived, there were flames shooting out of the building.

The fire also spread to the middle house connecting the barn to the original mansion. The president of Washburn-Norlands, Cathy Beauregard, said the good news is that the mansion itself was spared. But the barn was destroyed and some of the livestock died in the fire.

The Maine state fire marshal's office said a heater set up in the barn sparked the fire. It was put there to keep several newborn piglets warm. The fire marshal's office has ruled the fire an accident.

Firefighters from several towns helped fight the fire and shuttle water to the scene. Beauregard said about 100 neighbors also showed up to help out.

There were no reports of any injuries.
[Source]

While no one was hurt, and the fire spared the historic mansion, headquarter of so many historical activities for the region, assistance is still needed. On Craigslist.org, a plea was posted by a local who wants to get the word out about how people can help:

Last night (Monday, April 28), a devastating fire ripped through the barn of the Norlands Living History Center in Livermore. The barn—along with several animals—was lost. The extent of the damage to the mansion has not been fully determined at this time. More information about this sad event can be found on the Lewiston Sun Journal’s web site at www.sunjournal.com. For those who are not familiar with the Norlands, their web site is www.norlands.org (NOTE: there is a link to send donations via the web on their front page as of late this morning).

For decades, the Norlands has offered the community an opportunity to travel back in time to explore Maine’s rich history. Thousands of school children have enjoyed field trips to the school & mansion (I went as a child back in 1980...and my daughter enjoyed a school outing there just last year). For thousands of local residents, their annual Heritage Days has been a tradition not to be missed.

As the embers are still cooling, the Norlands Board of Directors is already committing to rebuild—no matter how long or how hard the task will be.

I’m just a citizen (not associated with the Norlands) that was saddened by this event, and who recognizes the value of this organization. Those wishing to help are instructed in a Sun Journal article:

To donate grain, hay, money or other goods to Norlands, call the center’s main number and leave a message at (207)897-4366. Mail can be sent to: 290 Norlands Road, Livermore, ME 04253. Drinkwine can be reached by cell at (207)740-0777, or by e-mail at vlnorlands[at]megalink.net

No pressure. Just letting folks know in case they want to help.

There you have it. On a positive note, they are also determined to rebuild again.

Danvers Asylum fire empties new apartments

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while may remember we are also interested in other weird New England sites, including the old Danvers Lunatic Asylum in Danver, Massachusetts.

The New England Anomaly mailing list alerted me this morning to a report on Boston WCVB-TV about a four-alarm fire at the Danvers facility, now partway through its conversion into apartments and condominiums.

Spectacular Fire Damages Former Mental Hospital
Firefighters Battled Flames In Cold

BOSTON -- A massive four alarm fire at the former Danvers State Mental Hospital lit up the night sky and forced a number of residents from their homes overnight Saturday.

Flames shot up hundreds of feet in the air and could be seen for miles after the blaze began at about 1:30 a.m.
The hospital has been closed for years, but the buildings were in the process of being developed into condominiums and apartments.

Officials say eight buildings were destroyed, including four unfinished apartment buildings and four utility buildings. State police evacuated residents living in new apartments on the property as a precaution and closed nearby Route 1. Some firefighters suffered minor burns because of the intensity of the flames, the Danvers Fire Department said.

The hospital was built in 1878 and closed to patients in 1992. In 2005, the property was sold to Avalon Bay Development which is building 497 apartments and condominiums on the 77 acre site. Fire crews were expected to stay at the scene through Saturday to watch for hot spots. The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known.

[Source]