Saint Augustine Fire of 1914

The Saint Augustine Fire destroyed every structure in

Origins and firefighting

The fire began in the kitchen boiler room of Florida House on Treasury Street before daybreak. It was first reported by a patrolman named S A McCormick who saw flames from a second floor window while walking his late night beat shortly after 1:00am. The Florida House was engulfed before help arrived. Fire fighters first worked to rescue guests at the Florida, many of whom were carried down ladders. The local fire department could do no more than contain the fire and summoned help from Jacksonville's fire department, who arrived via the Florida East Coast Railway.^[2]

Hotel guests fled neighboring structures in their night clothes into a blaze of light, visible from the outskirts of the city. Clothing, furniture, and belongings rescued from the fire were heaped on the green in front of

Newspapers reported only one fatality caused by the fire. Alice Smith of Amherst, Nova Scotia,^[4] leapt from the third floor of the Florida House and was taken to a hospital with a broken back. She did not recover. A man named Libby, another guest of the hotel, leaped from the second floor, and broke his leg. A number of others were less seriously hurt.^[5]

The Bemidji Daily Pioneer estimated property damage at $500,000 to $750,000.^[6] The Keowee Courier estimated damage at $400,000.^[7]

Buildings lost

Atlantic Hotel was on Bay Street beside

Bennett House was at the corner of Bay and Cuna Streets, and opened in 1910.

Central Hotel was at 84 Charlotte, north of Treasury Street. Henry E Hernandez, who later owned the Ocean View Hotel, operated the Central until 1910.^[8]

Capo's Bath House was an octagonal-shaped building located on a bay pier near 20 Bay Street across from Baya Lane throughout the Flagler Era. It was owned by Philip V Capo and operated by Adolphus N Pacetty, providing hot and cold sea water, sulfur water baths, and shower baths. It was popular among tourists before access to the beaches was improved.^[9]

Florida House was located on 131 Saint George street near the Plaza. It was advertised in Elias Nason's 1884 Chapins Hand Book of Saint Augustine as featuring 131 large rooms, elegant furnishings, good ventilation, and gas lights. A steam passenger elevator carried guests to the fourth floor. Originally only open in the winter, at the time of the fire the Florida was open all year and the capacity was 250.^[10]

Genovar Opera House was on Saint George Street north of Treasury. The theatre hosted traveling companies and had full stage equipment and folding seats. The proprietor was Bartola Genovar, who lost his original Opera House at Charlotte Street and Cuna to a previous fire.^[11]

Hotel Clairmont was next to the Opera House on Saint George Street.^[12]