Somerset

In 1804, the town of Somerset was incorporated as a borough. They would have had no idea of the three great fires that would nearly destroy their town soon…

In 1833, a fire consumed every house between present-day Edgewood Avenue and the Diamond. Six stables, nine businesses, and ten shops were lost. Thirty or more families were left homeless, and the damage was estimated at $80,000. Most importantly, no one was known to be injured or killed in the blaze.

In 1872, the most severe of the fires destroyed 90 buildings, causing an estimated $300,000 worth of damage. A spark probably started it from the Somerset Foundry on Edgewood. Nearby, in the Francis E. Weimer stables, a bundle of rye straw lit afire. When Wiemer tried to extinguish the flame, the bundle fell apart, sending burning embers intoto town on the hand igh winds.

At the time, roof shingles were all made of wood, and it didn't take much for them to catch fire. The fire destroyed sections of town from east of Edgewood Avenue to Patriot Street to Union Street, jumping across North Center to burn the following block to the Presbyterian Church.

Again, fortunately, no one was killed. The only known injury was when Francis Weimer bravely tried to stop the seed of the great fire in his stable, burning his arms in the process. In 1876, the third great fire began in the stables of the Somerset Foundry and spread east, consuming homes, businesses, hotels, and stores. A bucket brigade finally brought the flames under control, but in the end, the damage was estimated to be $125,000.