Perkins Grand Opera House
Perkins Grand Opera House is now in Ashes
Springfield Republican, March 27, 1896, page 1
"Springfield has witnessed another terrible fire and as a result the magnificent Grand Opera House which has stood as a sentinel upon the main thoroughfare connecting the old and the new towns, lies this morning in a smoldering mass of ashes, brick, and mortar, and the $75,000 which it cost has been lost forever.
"At 11:30 o’clock, an alarm was turned in at box 51 and in an instant, the clattering of horses hoofs could be heard upon the pavement as the faithful animals dashed madly down Boonville Street from opposite directions. In time almost incredible fire department No. 1 was upon the scene and was soon joined by the brave boys from the north side who had more than double the distance to run.
"For a time it was difficult to locate the flames as nothing could be seen but smoke issuing form the lower floor of the building. All the doors were opened and in a few minutes there were four nozzles pouring as many different streams into the burning building. The greater volume of smoke appeared to issue from the rear end of the basement and the fire is supposed to have [originated] in the property room. The firemen were unacquainted with the building and the basement was cut into so many different rooms, and side stairways that they could tell nothing about it, but go to work and turned the hose in every direction. The firemen asserted that had they been acquainted with the building they could have perhaps saved it. The resolution which passed the council requiring two firemen to be present at all entertainments was spurned by the owners of the opera houses and they were refused admittance. The firemen bitterly denounced Mr. Heffernan for his action in refusing them admission in conformity to the resolution of the council.
"After the department had worked for over an hour, it was evident that the flames were gaining. It required but an instant for them to spread from the first floor to the top of the building after the fire reached the scenery. When Della Fox showed here Monday night, the company had its own special scenery and that of the opera house was taken down and stood upon end in the rear part of the stage. When the flames struck them the fire ran up like a flash to the top part of the building and soon caught in the roof and broke through. It was about 1 a.m. when the flames appeared upon the outside and prior to that time the men had been fighting within.
"From that time on the department lost all hopes of saving the building and at once began to save those adjoining. Ham Gould, a machine man at the Republican office, lived at 216 Center Street in the rear of the burning building and his family and household goods were removed to a place of safety. Mrs. M.A. Mills and Mrs. J. B. McCall lived at 879 Boonville, just north of the building and their household goods were removed across the street. A. J. Scott's household goods were removed from 863 Boonville, which was just south of the Grand Opera House, and the family and goods of A. Graham, 222 Center Street, were also rescued.
"J. W. [?], who kept a grocery store and who had about $2,000 worth of goods on hand, lost everything, except his books and one showcase. He had insurance to the amount of $500 upon his stock and $200 upon fixtures.
"The Perkins Grand Opera House was built in 1887 by P.B. Perkins, who for a time was considered a Napoleon of finance in this city. He dealt in real estate and made a fortune and lost it. The ground was donated and a large subscription was taken from people on the north side of town, who were anxious to see the building go up as they thought it would enhance the price of property in that portion of that city. It cost Mr. Perkins $64,420 according to his books. Mr. Heffernan came into possession of the property on January 15, 1889, and has for the past seven years been its owner and manager. About three years ago after the Baldwin was constructed with its two dozen boxes and all modern improvements, including the magnificent display of incandescent lights, Mr. Heffernan, not caring to take a back seat, improved his property in the same manner at a cost of $4700. Last fall he tore away the old fashioned front and had an elegant new one built with a dozen or more office rooms and two splendid store rooms on the lower floor. This improvement cost him $4,200 and Capt. D. A. Davis was the contractor. The front was one of beauty and grandeur and admired by visitors as well as residents of the city. All told, counting the improvements, the building cost in round figures $75,000.
"There was a mortgage of $29,000 upon the property when Mr. Heffernan took possession of it, but he had reduced it until there was only $15,000 at the time it burned. It was well insured, but the exact amounts could not be ascertained as the proprietor was so greatly agitated over his loss he was unable to give exact figures, but said it was somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000. One policy of $20,000, he said, expired Sunday and he carried insurance in a number of different companies and taken at different times, so that he could not tell just what was in force and what was not without looking at his books. The walls of the building were well constructed, being eighteen inches thick and brick laid in cement. It was thought by many who witnessed the fire that the walls would not fall, but owing to the intensity of the heat at exactly 2 a.m. they tumbled in and the flames shot skyward.
"The firemen of both departments worked heroically from 11:30 until nearly morning and are entitled to much credit therefor[sic]."
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