(above) Firefighters battle the blaze at the Rahway Hardware and Appliance store.
Memorable Fires (Part II of II)
Submitted by Al Shipley, City Historian and Rahway Library Research Consultant
Last month’s entries of eight memorable fires covered the years 1885-1954. Readers might have a better time remembering this edition’s group as they focus on more recent fires.
February 2, 1959-Rahway Recreation Alleys: Near zero temperatures hampered firefighters as they fought the early morning blaze that destroyed the four year old Rahway Recreation building, a twenty-four lane bowling alley and cocktail lounge, located at the corner of Route 1/9 and Lawrence Street. Sixty Rahway firemen and one Avenel company fought the blaze from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. The hanger-type roof of the 150 x 150 foot building collapsed at 6:15 leaving only the twisted steel support girders, evidence of the intense heat. The loss was estimated at $500,000. Owners rebuilt the alleys and lounge and reopened before the end of the year. In the late 1980s the business was sold to an automobile dealership and is now home to BM Motor Cars.
March 17, 1961-Second Presbyterian Church: Located at Main Street and New Brunswick Avenue, the 111 year old church was ravaged by a fire believed to have been caused by a defective oil burner. An alarm was sounded by a neighbor shortly before 7 a.m., but by the time firemen arrived, the church was a mass of flames. All Rahway fire companies responded and were joined by an aerial truck from Linden. For well over two hours the structure burned out of control, and it was only because of the skill of the firefighters and fortuitous gusts of strong winds blowing away from the sanctuary that the building was saved from being a total loss. By 10:30 a.m. the fire was essentially extinguished. While repairs were made to the church, the congregants held worship services at Roosevelt School and later St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Services resumed in the refurbished sanctuary on September 3, 1961. Since 2012, the church has been home to the Rahway Spanish Seventh Day Adventist congregation.
January 4, 1970-Cross Keys Hotel: The historic hotel, a city landmark for over 150 years, might still be standing today if not for a devastating fire which completely destroyed the building. It was reported that at around 6 p.m. a fire started under the kitchen and quickly spread through the old wooden structure. When firefighters arrived, the hotel was already engulfed by smoke and flame. The blaze burned out of control for over five hours as over one hundred firemen from Rahway, Clark, Colonia, Linden, and Roselle braved freezing temperatures, icy conditions, and thick smoke trying to save the structure. Forty-eight guests were safely removed and fortunately no one was seriously injured. Two firemen and two hotel residents were treated at Rahway Hospital for smoke inhalation. The Cross Keys was located on West Cherry Street between Campbell Street and Broad Street facing the triangular Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
November 11, 1981-YMCA: One man perished and fifteen others were hurt in a fire that destroyed two floors of the YMCA building on Irving Street. The blaze began shortly after 4 p.m. and was under control by 5:15. Dormitories on the second and third floors sustained the heaviest damage. Areas on the first level including office rooms, old locker rooms, and the entrance to the bowling alleys were also damaged. It was reported that for fifteen minutes after the fire was discovered, YMCA officials tried to extinguish it themselves. The delay proved to be costly as it gave the fire a chance to spread with deadly results. Fifteen persons were hospitalized including three police officers and four firefighters. Forty residents of the dormitories were displaced and transferred to YMCAs in neighboring towns. The Rahway Fire Department was lauded for its work in fighting the blaze and containing it in less than two hours.
November 29, 1991-Rahway Hardware and Appliance Co.: Located on the east side of Main Street near the corner of Monroe, Rahway Hardware and Appliance, a long established local business, stored turpentine, varnishes, and a variety of other paint products in the basement of the store. On Friday afternoon, the day after Thanksgiving, combustible substances erupted creating an inferno that would test the skills of 150 firemen for over five hours. The Rahway Fire Department reached the scene at 4:15 and after assessing the extent of the blaze and the threat to adjacent storefronts, called for units from surrounding towns for assistance. Notwithstanding the valiant efforts of the firefighters, the hardware store and two other stores were completely destroyed. The property on which the buildings stood is now the site of the Meridia Lafayette Village Apartments.
March 19, 1993-Firehouse Eatery and Pub: Early morning traffic on St. Georges Avenue was snarled and diverted as firemen fought a large fire that destroyed the Firehouse Eatery and Pub. Firemen reached the scene at 4:30 a.m. and had the fire under control in four hours. Besides the loss of the structure, the owner, an avid collector of firefighting memorabilia, lost collectibles worth over $150,000. The owner vowed to rebuild the business and reopened the restaurant in 1994.
June 5, 1995-Rahway Lumber: It was during a fierce thunderstorm that lightning struck the home of Rahway Lumber, a two-story 20,000 square foot structure located on Hazelwood Avenue next to the Route 1/9 overpass. Seventy firefighters from nine towns fought the blaze from 8:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. During the fight to get the fire under control, Route 1/9 was closed in both directions so pumpers could be parked on the overpass to direct water onto the roof. It was estimated that damages exceeded two million dollars. Rahway Lumber, founded in 1924, was originally located on Fulton Street. In the late 1960s the new complex was built on Hazelwood Avenue. After the fire, Rahway Lumber was rebuilt and was in business until the early years of 2000 when it was razed to make way for the realignment of Route 1/9.
January 4, 2011-Brookside at Rahway Apartments: Plans for an opening in the spring were dashed when a massive fire broke out which leveled the near completed fifty-unit apartment complex located on the east side of St. Georges Avenue between the Robinson’s Branch of the Rahway River and Church Street. The Rahway Fire Department responded to the 1:30 a.m. alarm and would summon additional assistance from ten neighboring departments. Throughout the morning, more than 100 firefighters worked through heat and smoke as the fire jumped from section to section of the pre-fabricated building. By 9 a.m., the fire which had completely consumed the entire complex was controlled. Amazingly, Brookside at Rahway was reconstructed and ready for occupancy in 2012.
