THE FIRE AT NO. 382 PARK PLACE (1903)
Brownstone Detectives investigates the history of our clients’ homes.
The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations.
Do you know the history of YOUR house?
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All new homeowners begin their “home” journey with a blank slate.
This is especially true in the case of owners of very old properties. They have very little information about the history of the structure they will be living in and nothing at all about the people who once lived there.
When we meet with clients for the first time and reveal an important historical event involving their house, they begin to realize a very important historical tenet:
Each house has a history.
For one house, that history may include a tale about a runaway child. For another it could be a bankruptcy that led to a foreclosure on the home, followed by the family’s ignominious departure in the wee hours.
For yet another, it may be a fire that almost destroyed the entire house that they had just purchased.
For No. 382 Park Place, it was the flames.
“THE FIRE CAUSED MUCH EXCITEMENT…”
In a newspaper article accompanied by a picture of the firemen fighting the conflagration, the known details were spelled out – from the person who was home to how the fire was reported and what damage was done.
“Fire broke out late yesterday afternoon in the house at 382 Park place and the work of the firemen in attacking the flames attracted a large crowd,” noted the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on 20 March 1903.
“The building, being situated in the Park Slope residence district, the fire caused much excitement for the time being and the work of the fire fighters was often applauded.”
Imagine all of these people, this large crowd, gathering outside of your house to watch it burn to the ground. Imagine as the firefighters struggled to contain the blaze to one floor, to one house. Image the excitement of the crowd as the firefighters begin to get the flames under control and the excitement in the crowd as they cheer the firefighters on.
“Mr. and Mrs. William H. Kelcey occupied the house, which is owned by a Mr. Stallwagon of Reading, Pa.,” the Eagle continued.
“The fire started in the upper story, but the police of the Grand avenue station have not yet been able to find the cause of its origin. By the good work of the department the fire was confined to that floor and to the house where it started. Mr. Kelcey was alone in the house at the time the blaze broke out and running to a window called for help. A passer by turned in an alarm.”
POSTSCRIPT
It was a good thing that the fire was noticed quickly, the alarm was given, and that no one was hurt. Mr. Stellwagen (spelled “Stallwagon” in the article) was living in Pennsylvania at the time and so it is likely that he returned to take care of repairing the damage to his property.
“The damage to the building,” noted the Eagle, has been estimated at $2,000 and to the furniture of Mr. Kelcey at $1,000.”
The Kelceys undoubtedly moved out to find another place to live. Through Ancestry.com, we were able to determine through 1905 census information that the family had moved approximately four blocks away to a 4-story rowhouse on St. Marks Avenue where they would live with another family.
According to this document, William worked for the “street railway” and lived with his wife, Martha, three sons, Frank, John, and William, a daughter, Edna, and a brother, Patrick (who also worked for the “street railway”).
WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR HOME?
If you are interested in learning the history of your home, contact us to uncover its history.
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Brownstone Detectives is an historic property research agency. Our mission is to document and save the histories of our clients’ homes. From our research, we produce our celebrated House History Books and House History Reports. Contact us today to begin discovering the history of your home.
