The Disasters of Downtown Marlborough

The Disasters of Downtown Marlborough. Marlborough, Massachusetts. An unfortunate feature of any central commercial district is its historical exposure to fire and natural disaster. , In the early to mid-nineteenth century, almost all buildings in downtown Marlborough were made of wood. Arson and accidental fires changed the face of downtown over the years. After many such events, the buildings were replaced with the brick structures we see today. , In January of 1887 the Central House Hotel, which was next to the railroad station on Main Street was destroyed by fire. This hotel was the last of a long history of hospitality businesses located in the downtown area. , In December 1902 the City Hall was destroyed by an accidental fire on Christmas Eve night. City Hall contained not only city offices, but the city library, the post office and other civic organizations. It was replaced with the fine structure we see today, and a new Carnegie Library was built at its present location near Monument Square. , The most damaging fire in the modern era occurred on December 7th, 1975 when two multi-story blocks extending eastward to Newton Street and boasting a total of six storefronts were destroyed. , In 1938 a hurricane destroyed two iconic spires in the downtown area. The very tall spire on the Immaculate Conception Church was replaced by a more modest and sturdy structure and the spire on the First Church was never replaced. , [Captions] , Top: This image was taken around 1910 and gives a view from roughly the same perspective you are now standing. The Masonic building (right) would have been directly in front of you and City Hall can be seen where it still stands today. This photo shows just how much Main Street has changed in over a hundred years. , Bottom, left to right: , . Central House Fire, 1887. You can see the train station building on the left side of the image. , . City Hall blaze being fought on Christmas day, 1902. Nearly all city departments were displaced after the loss of the building. , . This photo of the Riseberg-Masonic fire in 1975 was taken looking west around this panel's location.