Belfast in Waldo County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)
The Great Conflagration
⎯⎯⎯
La grande conflagration
Belfast, Maine
| | The Museum in the Streets | |
Belfast artist William M. Hall's drawing of the "Great Conflagration" was published in Harper's Weekly magazine a week after the fire. At 10:30 on the night of October 12, 1865 a fire that started on the waterfront rapidly spread. Despite valiant efforts by the fire department, by next morning the inferno had leveled one hundred twenty-five buildings in a twenty-acre section of downtown. The following year, the City passed an ordinance prohibiting the building of wooden structures in the downtown area. In 1873 another fire at one of the wharfs spread quickly throughout the same district burned earlier. This time, the blaze extended into the residential district as far as High Street and unfortunately caused one death.
Erected 2004 by The Museum in the Streetsฎ. (Marker Number 24.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Disasters. In addition, it is included in the The Museum in the Streets: Belfast, Maine series list. A significant historical date for this entry is October 12, 1920.
Location. 44° 25.691′ N, 69° 0.233′ W. Marker is in Belfast, Maine, in Waldo County. It can be reached from Front Street near Main Street. The marker is on the southeast side of the parking lot at the City Landing. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Belfast ME 04915, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Midcoast Maine and on Penobscot Bay. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Captain Albert W. Stevens / Le Capitaine Albert W. Stevens (a few steps from this marker); The Finest and the Fastest / Le plus rapides et les plus rac้s (within shouting distance of this marker); Making a Living / Gagner sa vie (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Circus Comes to Town / Le cirque arrive ! (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Oldest Manufacturer / Le plus ancien fabricant (approx. 0.2 miles away); Broiler Capital of the World / Capitale du poulet r๔ti (approx. 0.2 miles away); On this site (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Windsor Hotel / L'H๔tel Windsor (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Belfast.
More about this marker. Marker #24 (of 30) in "The Museum in the Streets". The text on the Marker is in English, followed by a French translation.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 16, 2012, by James True of Newark, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 856 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 16, 2012, by James True of Newark, New Jersey. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.


