1960s
An exciting fire brought down the old Hazel Hotel in the early 1960’s. Many people turned out to watch the blaze at Second and Hazel Streets, some of them undoubtedly remembering the terrifying fire of 1926. The Hazel was one of the last real hotels in Newport,...
1950s
In 1951, two young boys broke into the sacristy of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and started a fire in the sanctuary, perhaps accidentally. The ensuing blaze gave the townspeople quite a scare, but the Newport Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire...
1920s
This map shows the area that succumbed to the fire, as it was obviously being driven by the wind. Newport bounced back with strong-willed determination. The town astounded the entire state with its optimism and energy, winning the nickname “Plucky Newport”...
1920s
Newport’s old-timers remembered for years how eerie the town seemed after the fire, looking to the veterans like scenes they had witnessed during World War I. Whole blocks were swept clean of homes, and then suddenly it would be evident that the wind had shifted...
1920s
A devastating fire in March 1926 destroyed more than 280 businesses and homes in a 30-block area. Most of the town’s fine homes burned to the ground, and the fire smoldered for a week. It started during a high wind when wooden shingles caught fire in a...
