Coxsackie, NY Village Fire, July 1854

DESTRUCTIVE CONFLAGRATION AT COXSACKIE -- LOSS $50,000 TO $75,000 -- NEARLY THE ENTIRE BUSINESS PORTION OF THE VILLAGE DESTROYED -- FORTY BUILDING CONSUMED.

A disastrous conflagration occurred at Coxsackie last evening, consuming nearly the entire business portion of the village. For hours the flames spread with great rapidity, and so wildly did the fire rage that the light was distinctly visible from this City.
We learn from CAPT. HOLMES, of the P. G. Coffin, that the fire orginated in KENNICUT'S Hotel, on the Middle Landing, about 6 o'clock last evening, thence spreading and destroying all the buildings on the landing, except those occupied by MESSRS. LUNDY, LASHER & Co., BARKER, KIRKLIN & Co., and PECK & DWIGHT.
There were not less than forty buildings destroyed, all of which were wooden, but they constituted the most valuable business portion of the village. Among the property destroyed were three hotels, viz.; Livingston Hotel, kept by MR. KENNICUT; BENJAMIN SHERMAN'S Hotel, and the BINGHAM House, kept by MR. BARLOW.
The principal sufferers by this calamity are MESSRS. H. P. BEDELL, dry goods; W. CASE & Co., grocery; P. LUSK, grocery and liquors; H. P. PECK, jeweler; PALMER & LASHER, grocers; PARELOW'S ice cream saloon; GEORGE SHARP, grocer; GINCH & COLLIER, dry goods; P. KENYON, grocer; and WM. PENOYER, grocer. Some of the above saved a portion of their property, while others scarcely got a dollar's worth of their goods from their stores. BARKER, KIRKLIN & Co.'s stock and building is damaged to the amount of $300. The Post Office was also destroyed, but the mailable matter in it was saved and forwarded to the Postmaster in this city for distribution in care of CAPT. HOLMES.
The forwarding houses on the lower dock were not injured, but on the middle dock there is only left three buildings. The buildings were not considered valuable, but most of the merchants had on hand heavy stocks of goods, most of which were destroyed. It was difficult at the departure of the Coffin to approximate with any degree of certainty to the amount of property destroyed. It was variously estimated at from $50,000 to $75,000, and may not exceed the lowest estimate. -- Albany Journal of last evening.

The New York Times New York 1854-07-12
__________________

Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!