An Account of the February 28, 1925 Fire at Pelhamdale, A Home on the National Register of Historic Places

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Early 1925 was a happy time for Deborah E. Wagner, a resident of Carol Place in the Village of Pelham Manor.  She was the owner of the old Pell Mansion known as "Pelhamdale" located at 45 Iden Avenue.  She was in the midst of remodeling the showplace home and planned to move into it in about April 1925.

The home Ms. Wagner chose to remodel once was owned by American Patriot David Jones Pell.  Today the structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Although the home has been significantly altered since the eighteenth century, a significant portion of the home was built prior to the Revolutionary War. 

Though the home has been through a succession of owners during its roughly 265-year history, it remains today an elegant private residence listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its storied history and the backgrounds of those who have lived in it including Philip Pell and his son, David Jones Pell.  I have written about David J. Pell and the lovely historic home known as "Pelhamdale" and "Pelham Dale" on numerous occasions. For a few examples, see the list at the end of today's posting.

On Friday, February 27, 1925, workmen involved with the remodeling of the home built a coal fire in a grate within a fireplace on the second floor of the home for warmth and left it burning when they departed that evening.  At 6:00 a.m. the next morning, Saturday, February 28, 1925, John Meltz was on his way to work at the local disposal plant.  As he walked past the home, he saw smoke rising from windows of the home.  He raced to the nearest fire box and turned in an alarm.  The old Pell Mansion was burning.

Village of Pelham Manor firefighters responded promptly.  The fire was extensive and stubborn.  Soon they called for the assistance of firmen of the First Fire District in the Village of North Pelham.  Temperatures were near zero degrees, making the battle particularly difficult.  At least one of the firefighters, John Roggeveen, suffered frostbite on both hands.

A crowd gathered as the firefighters battled the blaze.  One in the crowd was William R. Montgomery who later became Town Historian.  He had a glass negative camera with him and took a few photographs.  One of those photographs appears immediately below.

Fire at Pelhamdale, 45 Iden Avenue, on February 28, 1925.

Image from Glass Negative Photograph Taken by William

R. Montgomery on February 28, 1925.  Courtesy of The Office

of The Historian of the Town of Pelham.  NOTE:  Click on

Image To Enlarge.

The tin roof of the structure made it particularly difficult for the firefighters.  According to an account published the following Friday in The Pelham Sun, the "tin roof kept the flames smothered inside the building and made the firemen's job a slow, tedious battle."

As the morning wore on and the firemen continued to battle the blaze, the casualties began to mount.  In addition to the frostbite suffered by John Roggeveen, two firefighters, Kendall Telford and C. J. O'Reilly Jr., suffered smoke inhalation injuries.  Fireman Frederick Head was injured when he was struck by a falling timber.  Fireman John Amato suffered an unspecified slight injury.

At 9:15 a.m., the Invisible Hand of Providence saved five firefighters who had a "narrow escape" when the roof of the structure caved in.  For longer than another hour, the firemen battled the stubborn fire, finally bringing it under control by 10:30 a.m.

The damage to the historic structure was extensive.  In addition to the fallen roof, the chimney, fireplace and hearth where the workers had built the coal fire collapsed through the floor of the bedroom and tumbled into the dining room on the first floor.  Interior damage and water damage was extensive.  Yet, thankfully, no lives were lost and the injuries suffered fighting the fire were relatively minor.  

Today the restored home known as Pelhamdale remains a Pelham gem.  There is no trace of the damage caused by the early morning fire on February 28, 1925.

Pelhamdale, 45 Iden Avenue, on October 14, 2007.

Photograph by the Author.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"Pell House Burns; Two Firefighters Are Overcome By Smoke
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Battle Against Flames In Zero Temperature -- Five Firemen Have Narrow Escape When Roof Falls
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Fire of unknown origin early Saturday destroyed the interior of the old Pell mansion at 43 [sic] Iden Avenue, Pelham Manor.  Five firemen narrowly escaped injury when the roof caved in.  Zero weather and low pressure made the work of the firemen hazardous.  The building is owned by Mrs. Deborah E. Wagner, of Carol Place, Pelham Manor, and was recently remodeled.  Mrs. Wagner planned to occupy the house in about four weeks.  The loss is estimated at $10,000.  The alarm was sounded from box 143 by John Meltz, at 6 a.m.  He saw smoke pouring from the windows as he passed the place on his way to work at the disposal plant.

Mrs. Wagner thinks the fire may have come from the fireplace flue.  A bedroom in which one fireplace was located was entirely burned out and fell into the dining room on the floor below.  Workmen employed in the house built a coal fire in the grate on the day previous and left it burning when they departed at night.  It is supposed the flue was defective and the fire resulted.  

The tin roof kept the flames smothered inside the building and made the firemen's job a slow, tedious battle.  Joseph Carrahar, Frederick Head, Robert Powers, John Amato and Gorham Head all had a narrow escape when the roof caved in at 9:15 a.m.  Frederick Head was hit on the jaw by a falling timber and John Amato was slightly injured.  John Roggeveen had both hands frost bitten.  Two other firemen, Kendall Telford and C. J. O'Reilly Jr., were partly suffocated by smoke.  The blaze was under control at 10:30 a.m.  Chief Templeton of the Pelham Manor fire department expressed his thanks to the fire fighters of the first fire district for the prompt assistance they gave his men.  

The burned building is a historic landmark of Pelham Manor and for several years has been known as the old Stone House."

Source:  Pell House Burns; Two Firefighters Are Overcome By Smoke -- Battle Against Flames In Zero Temperature -- Five Firemen Have Narrow Escape When Roof Falls, The Pelham Sun, Mar. 6, 1925, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 1, col. 1.  

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As noted above, I have written about David J. Pell and the lovely historic home known as "Pelhamdale" and "Pelham Dale" on numerous occasions.  For a few examples, see:

Fri., Sep. 04, 2015:  Sale of the Pre-Revolutionary War Home Known as Pelhamdale in 1948.

Tue., Jun. 24, 2014:  Story of Pelhamdale, the Old Stone House by the Bridge, Once Owned by David J. Pell.

Thu., Jan. 03, 2008:  Charges in 1808 Against Lieutenant-Colonel David J. Pell of Pelham that He "Indulges in Inebriety and Habitual Drunkeness." 

Thu., Oct. 26, 2006:  Genealogical Data Regarding David Jones Pell of the Manor of Pelham, Revolutionary War Officer. 

Mon., Oct 15, 2007:  Town Proclamation Recognizes Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of Pelhamdale at 45 Iden Avenue. 

Wed., Nov. 02, 2005:  Engraving by P.M. Pirnie Showing Pelhamdale in 1861. 

Thu., Oct. 13, 2005:  Two More Pelham Ghost Stories. 

Mon., Sep. 19, 2005:  The Long-Hidden Pastoral Mural Uncovered in Pelhamdale, a Pre-Revolutionary War Home. 

Mon., Apr. 11, 2005:  More From the William R. Montgomery Glass Negative Collection (includes photograph of fire at Pelhamdale on February 28, 1925). 

Tue., Mar. 22, 2005:  The 1790 U.S. Census Information for the Township of Pelham.

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