Because You Asked . . . .    
Second Fire Takes Buildings
                                  on North Side of Square

Norman Patrick Building on Northwest Corner of Cherry and Vernon Streets

         
At 5:00 Tuesday morning, March, 22, 1927, E. E. White noticed a raging fire when he left his house for a bucket of water. Local fire fighters held the blaze under control until the Delaware Fire Department arrived with their excellent workers and equipment, the fire was under control at 7:30. Root’s Department Store and Kroger’s occupied the same building, a large two story frame on the northwest corner of Cherry and Vernon Streets. A small portion of the large stock of of the department store was saved. The contents of the Kroger room was a total loss.

The entire residence of C. E. Budd on the second floor of the building adjoining Root’s was gutted except for two bedrooms. Due to Mrs. Budd’s illness, Mr. and Mrs. Budd have not occupied the residence for some time. Furniture and household goods were lost.

The pool hall on the first floor of the Budd building was badly damaged with water and smoke. Ray’s Market, next door to the pool hall, and the Sunbury News Office building were threatened but not damaged.

The loss was expected to exceed $60,000. Again, the new water system was sited as the reason the fire departments were able to save the remaining buildings on the block.

Root’s temporarily moved into the new Cupp building on the east side of the square.

. . . .And Now You Know
by Polly Horn

 

Suzanne Allen found this article in the Westerville Public Opinion for March 24, 1927. . . .
                            Estimate Sunbury Blaze at $40,000
 .
     Almost on the anniversary of the $150,000 fire which wiped out one complete business block in Sunbury, flames Tuesday morning completely destroyed two stores and partially destroyed a third at an estimated loss of $40,000.
     The department store of C. A. Root and the Kroger Grocery managed by Burt Bensley, suffered the most severe losses.  Both buildings were practically destroyed and all merchandise either burned or water soaked beyond use.
     According to the Fire Chief H. W. Snow, Sunbury, the fire started near the stairway between the grocery and department store.
     The building of the Sunbury News directly west of Budd's pool room was undamaged by the fire although for a time the flames threatened to wipe out the entire block on the north side of the town square.
 
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(08/21/2009 )