FIRE OF 1778
Around 4 a.m. on Jan. 15, nearly two years into the American Revolution, a fire broke out in a kitchen near the intersection of Queen and Union (now State) streets. Its origin will likely always remain a matter of debate. Amid tensions between American Patriots and those locals still loyal to the Crown, some rumors said it was started on purpose Loyalists, but no proof of that exists. It may have simply began accidentally.
A strong northerly wind blew embers from one residential rooftop to another westward along Queen Street. At Church Street, the fire turned south and continued for about six blocks along that street's east side to Stoll's Alley.
Meanwhile, following a southerly path down Union (today State) Street, the fire continued to Elliott Street, where the city's principal colonial market was located, engulfing both Elliott Street and Bedon's Alley. At the southern end of Bedon's, it burned west along Tradd Street before eventually meeting its other half (and thus a natural fire break) at Church Street.
Witnesses described the event as a "sea of flame," describing "the crackling of flames ... the shrieks of the ...sufferers" and the "horror ... in every contenance." Charlestonians raced out of their homes into the streets seeking refuge from the inferno.
The fire was controlled around noon, about eight hours after it was first reported. Charlestonians gazed with disbelief at "the smoking ruins, and the constant falling of walls and chimneys." (Fraser, p. 157)
Six people died and nearly 250 residences, including their dependencies, had been destroyed. All of the buildings on Union Street had been leveled, either from the fire itself or by the firefighters trying to control it, as had most of the properties along Chalmers Street and the south side of Queen Street. Between the eastern terminus of Queen Street to the southern tip of East Bay Street, only 15 houses survived; only five properties along the east side of Church Street between Broad and Stoll's Alley remained. Only two houses remained standing on Elliott Street. Both sides of Broad Street were heavy damaged.
As the flames moved down the streets, residents began grabbing their belongs and rushing them to places they hoped would be safe. Unfortunately, amid the chaos unscrupulous characters, pretending to help, would often abscond with the goods they "saved." For weeks after the confligration, those who had lost expensive possessions advertised in the local paper for the return of goods - chests, clothing, rum, wine, books, jewelry, shoes, furniture, paintings.
The Cooper-Bee House, c. 1760, was one of five properties that survive on the east side of Church Street, but in the mayhem, much of its furniture disappeared. For weeks after the fire, the South-Carolina and American General Gazette ran Bee's advertisement: "Lost in removing from my house during the late fire, among many other articles of value, the following: six mahogany chairs with horsehair bottoms, four paintings, a good many books, three large case bottles of Jamaica rum, about fifteen dozen of Madeira wine… Any person who will deliver the articles, or can give information where they may be found, shall receive a reward suitable to the value recovered, and many thanks from Thomas Bee."
The fire also destroyed the Charles Town Library and museum on Philadelphia Alley, along with its “valuable collection of books, instruments and apparatus for astronomical and philosophical observations and experiments.”
Sources and More Information
Fraser, Jr. Walter. Charleston! Charleston! (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1991.
