Carroll County Chronicles Fall 2020

Another Hillsville Fire

Most people in Carroll are aware of the great fire of January, 1931 which destroyed most of downtown Hillsville. However, in 1892, another serious fire claimed much of the town. At the time of the fires of 1892 and 1931, most of the buildings in town were wooden structures and Hillsville had no fire department or public water supply. It would be a foregone conclusion that a fire in a wooden-structure community during windy months would be uncontrollable without either of these services. A Serious Conflagration Hillsville, Va., March 1 - About 6 o'clock last Saturday morning the alarm of fire was sounded and the citizens turned out to find the drug store of Mr. R. J. Thornton on fire. The fires had made such rapid headway when first discovered as to destroy all hope of saving the building. In a few moments the fire had reached the Presbyterian Church, which stood very near the drug store. The church was very soon in ashes. The Central Hotel, which stood but a few feet north of the church, was then reached by the flames and it, like the church and drug store, was very soon destroyed. A building standing south of the drug store and near the storehouse of Johnson & Early, owned by James Wilkinson, and used as a wareroom by Mr. W. C. Smith, foundry man, was also burned. The storehouse of Johnson & Early caught on fire several times, but was saved, though a part of the roof and nearly the whole of the weather boarding on one side were torn off. Clinch Valley News - March 4, 1892

The county jail and one or two other buildings took fire during the time, but the flames were extinguished without much trouble.

19