Halsey Terrace on Garland Hill Destroyed by Fire

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By Aaron Lee
alee@newsadvance.com
August 29, 2006

Lynchburg firefighters worked in shifts in low-90s heat throughout Tuesday afternoon trying to suffocate a fire that destroyed a historic apartment building.Gina Adler was at home at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when she smelled smoke, went outside, saw flames and called the fire department to her turn-of-the-century residence at 220 Madison St.The building is located in a designated historic area in downtown Lynchburg, off Fifth Street.At 5 p.m. Tuesday, crews were still working to put the fire out.Firefighters initially attacked the flames from inside, butmoved outside when the building started becoming unstable.Outside, hoses sprayed from all sides and onto the flaming roof as slate shingles and tan bricks broke off and cascaded three stories onto the porch roof below.Eventually most of the building’s roof collapsed inward, burying the flames that authorities said would keep fighters busy throughout the night.No damage was reported to the carriage house located on the same property, to the back right of the main house.Investigators with the Lynchburg Fire Marshal’s Office were not able to say what might have started the fire.One resident, a male, was taken to the hospital with injuries, but was not in the building when emergency crews arrived, said Robert Lipscomb, public information officer with the Lynchburg Fire Department.By 5 p.m., authorities reported the man had returned to Madison Street and was doing better.Built in 1899 by Ambrose H. Burroughs, a Campbell County native and prominent lawyer, the house sits on what was once a cow pasture at the apex of Garland Hill.The house was converted into apartments after Burroughs sold it in 1926.Jonathan Davies stood among a crowd of bystanders gathered along the historic Lynchburg street Tuesday afternoon, watching as firefighters battled the worst of the fire.Davies pointed to the now charred apartment he’s lived in since December. Everything in it is likely ruined.He wishes his grandfather’s violin had made it out.Adler, a field hockey coach at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, has lived in the building less than a month.She sat with her roommate Jennifer Crooke on a wall across the street talking with aid workers into the early evening. Crooke said her cat was in the apartment at the time of the fire and had not been seen.American Red Cross workers report all of the building’s handful of tenants had places to stay the night.

www.wset.com
Tuesday August 29, 2006 7:10pm Reporter: Leigh Forrester

Lynchburg, VA - One of Lynchburg's most historic homes went up in flames Tuesday. The Halsey Terrace Building was a home on Madison Street, but the fire actually forced crews to block off 5th Street. This has been a particularly tough fire to fight.The house was built in the late 1800's. Fire Captain Robert Lipscomb told me because it's so old, there are hidden spaces with fire just waiting to be discovered.Those who lived there had to sit on the sidewalk and watch their lives burn to the ground. It only took 3 minutes for fire crews to arrive here. But clearly speed wasn't the key to saving this historic house. Those that lived inside lost everything.Gina Adler, Lived Inside - "There was flames coming up to the second floor so I ran outside and called the fire department immediately. It's definitely sad. I feel sorry for a lot of people who, this is everything for them."Jane Kuhn, Lived Inside - "I just grabbed my cat and put on the first thing I could find and just came out."This massive house has been around for more than 100 years.Frances Calhoun, Garland Hill Neighborhood Assoc. - "That's the finest mansion in the whole district."But the fire didn't care, tearing through that history and destroying everything in its path.Kuhn - "There was a man on the first floor that was stretched out because he had inhaled too much smoke."That man was taken to the hospital. There were six apartments inside this house and lots of kindling.Kuhn - "Dark wood in the entry way and very large doors to those apartments. The apartments were all wooden floors and very unique."The roof is now caved in. The inside destroyed. And at least six people that we know of are without the comforts of what used to be known as Halsey Terrace.Kuhn - "I have seen reports of this happening all my life but it's surreal when it happens to you when you have no thought five minutes before, two minutes before that this would be happening so."At least six people lived in the building. The Red Cross is helping them. Right now firefighters don't know what caused this fire. And it might be sometime before they do. The building is still collapsing on itself so inspectors aren't even allowed inside.

Tuesday August 29, 2006 11:46pm Reporter: Leigh Forrester

Lynchburg, VA - A historic Lynchburg home was destroyed by fire early Tuesday afternoon. It was a big fire. So big, it forced city crews to close Fifth Street while firefighters attacked the blaze.Halsey Terrace was still smoldering Tuesday night. The building was turned into apartments in the 1920's. We're told at least six people were living inside. One man was taken to the hospital. There is no word on his condition.Firefighters say fire in a building this old is extremely hard to fight because the building has hidden spaces where the flames can hide. Those who live here say it took a while to notice the fire.Gina Adler, Halsey Terrace Resident - "There was flames coming up to the second floor so I ran outside and called the fire department immediately."Jane Kuhn, Halsey Terrace Resident - "I just grabbed my cat and put on the first thing I could find and just came out."Viewing the house from the back shows that it's almost entirely gone. The Red Cross is helping residents over the next few days. They'll be providing food, clothing and shelter. Investigators are still trying to figure out what started the fire.

www.wdbj7.com

An historic home went up in flames in downtown Lynchburg. Authorities aren't sure how it started, but they spent the better part of Tuesday afternoon putting it out.
Fire fighters said this was a fast-moving fire that may have had a pretty good head start before crews could start throwing water on it. The got the call just before noon. The porch in the back of the Halsey Terrace Building at 220 Madison Street was on fire.
It wasn't long before the fire had extended into the back of the three-story building. Then flames began shooting through the roof. The unsafe conditions forced firefighters to back out. Minutes later, large portions of the roof caved in.
The house was built in 1899 and for 80 years, it has served as an apartment building. It's described as a classic example of both Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Now it's mostly destroyed, and the Red Cross is helping out the six people who'd lived there.

Asking Large Questions in Small Places: The Slave Ironworkers of Buffalo Forge and Oxford Furnace, Virginia

Dr. Charles B. Dew’s free program at the Lynchburg Public Library on Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 2 pm will focus on these little-known aspects of local history.

A native of Florida , Dr. Dew is currently Ephraim Williams Professor of History at Williams College in Massachusetts and the award-winning author of several books including: Ironmaker to the Confederacy: Joseph R. Anderson and the Tredegar Iron Works, Bond of Iron: Master and Slave at Buffalo Forge, and Apostles of Disunion: Southern Secession Commissioners and the Causes of the Civil War.

Dr. Dew’s study of Central Virginia iron works started over 30 years ago; his article: David Ross and the Oxford Iron Works: A Study of Industrial Slavery in the Early 19th Century South was published in the William and Mary Quarterly of April, 1974. The Virginia Historical Society owns the 1812-1813 letterbook for the Oxford Furnace Iron Works, which operated in Campbell County just east of Lynchburg from before the Revolutionary War until about 1870. David Ross acquired Oxford Furnace in 1776 and made munitions and supplies for the Continental Army as well as household, farm, and industrial wares.

As Dew researched the letterbook and other sources, he found a fascinating story of early 19 th century life in Central Virginia. Ross lived in Petersburg and his Oxford operation grew to over 24,000 acres with four plantations, grist mill, a batteau fleet, blast furnaces, and forges. Except for a white manager, a miller, and a carpenter, other work was done by a slave force of over 225 people with a slave named Abram in charge of the iron works. The slaves grew the crops, milled grain, operated the boats hauling iron to Richmond , and did the skilled work of turning iron ore into products.

Buffalo Forge was an ironworks located near Glasgow , Virginia and Dew’s research revealed a similar story of skilled slave workmen, an owner who often let his slaves decide where they would work, slaves who did extra work and were paid in cash, and an intricate story of human relationships within the framework of master and slave. This is the basis for Bonds of Iron.

There will be a reception following the program and Dr. Dew will be available to sign copies of his books. A limited number of his books will be available for sale. The program is sponsored by the Lynchburg Public Library, Lynchburg Museum System, Legacy Museum of African-American History, The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Human Rights , and Jones Memorial Library. For information, please call the Lynchburg Museum at (434) 847-1459.

James River Batteau Festival Day Two

Sunday morning, we enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes and sausage, and the batteaux crews began the process of shuttling vehicles from Galts Mill down to the next stop at Bent Creek. By mid-morning, the Peaks Shadow, along with several other batteaux, formed the last group of boats to depart Galts Mill, just as the water level began to rise (American Electric Power assists the JRBF by releasing water from a dam above Lynchburg for the first two days of the festival).

Several other canoeists (including longtime friend John Buckley) and I helped scout rapids for the batteaux, and I took some time off to swim alongside my canoe in a deep stretch of water.

We arrived at Pettyjohn Shoals, just off Pettyjohn Island, where a number of batteaux were having problems. Below is what I posted to the Batteau Yahoogroup early Monday morning in response to rumors that one batteau's front end broke off:

"The Lady's Slipper was having trouble with serious leaks in its bow nosecone all weekend. It's nosecone did not break off, but crew members stated that there were a few holes. A number of batteaux got stuck hard on Pettyjohn Shoals on Sunday, and the Lady's Slipper was one of them. What happened tothe Lady's Slipper could happen to any batteau, and, in fact, it has in the past (including the Frank Padgett on Higginbotham's Falls [just around the corner] years ago). Several canoeists helped free the Slipper (just as another batteau came into that chute sideways, even though canoeists and a kayaker were pointing at a better route.By the time the Lady's Slipper made it to the right bank, it had sunk to its gunwales. Captain Betsy Healey made a quick, sound decision to offload all gear and crew from the boat, and this was done quickly and calmly. By the time we started moving the large boxes off, the batteau was on the river bottom (normally, a batteau would have neutral bouyancy, but since people were standing in it, it went to the bottom). Crew members and personal gear went onto other batteaux and canoes, and everyone moved down the river. I do not know what the crew of the Lady's Slipper decided to do once they got to Bent Creek. Batteaux that came immediately to the aid of the Lady's Slipper included: Peaks Shadow, Virginia Creeper, Brunswick Belle, Spirit of the James and The Maple Run."

After helping get gear off the Lady's Slipper, I carried a refugee from that boat (Anna Best from Hanover, an old friend) in my canoe. We navigated Wreck Island Falls well, and then stopped on the left bank for lunch. At that point, Anna and I switched positions in the canoe, and she became "captain" (generally, the person sitting in the rear of a canoe is in charge of major steering decisions). Anna guided us skillfully through Higginbotham's Falls, avery tricky spot.

We arrived at Bent Creek at about 5:30pm, and shared news of the Lady's Slipper with the ground crew from that boat.

James River Batteau Festival Day One

As many of you know, I have been participating in the James River Batteau Festival for quite some time. This year marks the 21st event, and the batteaux departed from Lynchburg on Saturday June 17th at Noon. My parents canoed from Lynchburg (Percival's Island) to the Joshua Falls boat ramp...about 10 miles. After purchasing groceries and a new dry bag, I met them at Joshua Falls ramp in Campbell County at about 3:30pm. I took the canoe from there to the first night's stop between Galts Mill and Stapleton in Amherst County.

I stopped at Joshua Falls in order to watch the batteaux come through this section. Joshua Falls is formed by the remnants of a dam that was used to funnel water into the James River & Kanawha Canal, I believe. This area is the first real test of maneuvering ability that the boats get, as the batteauman on the front sweep (often the captain) has to locate rocks and appropriate routes and then position the batteau so that it will head in the proper direction. The crew member on the rear sweep has an equally important job, as the stern (rear) must follow the bow (front) of the boat in just the right way.

After the Peaks Shadow passed the falls, I paddled after them, and stayed with that batteau for the rest of the day. The crew of that boat have also operated the Nekoosa, Frank Padgett, and Ole Sam, which I have crewed on occasion. We arrived at a field on river left between Galts Mill and Stapleton around dinnertime, and enjoyed a BBQ meal provided by Amelon Methodist Chuch. I slept under the stars, which were beautiful that evening.