More About the Good Friday Fire

Recent posts about the missing buildings in the 300 block of Warren Street prompted local historian Paul Barrett to send these photographs and more information about the fire that occurred on April 16, 1965. The day after the fire, the Knickerbocker News published these two pictures of 330 Warren Street engulfed in flames.

The second picture was accompanied by this caption: "FURIOUS FLAMES—Here is an early photograph of the fire, as flames race uncontrolled through the 3d floor of the structure at 330 Warren Street. It was one of the first buildings to be swept by flames, which started at 328 Warren Street. This building was leveled."

The article from the Knickerbocker News reports that "Occupants of apartments at 326 to 334 Warren Street were unable to salvage as much as 'a cup of tea' as one official put it." The article also identifies all the businesses that were located in the buildings involved in and affected by the fire and the family who lived in the one residential property. Here is that list:

326  Liberty Home Improvement
328  Ernest Meyers Shoe Repair
330  Leo Hodowansky Restaurant ["Leo's Restaurant" can be seen painted on the window in the picture above.]
332  Veterans of Foreign Wars Home and Bar
334  Edward Goldberg Variety Store
336  Mulhern Oil Company [This building survives and at some point became the VFW Hall.]
338  Residence of the Lewis E. McNamee family [This building also survived the fire and is now painted royal blue.]
340  Charles Mahota Restaurant [This building survives and is now Swoon Kitchenbar.]
342  Rogers Hose Company [The firehouse is now American Glory.] 

This picture, also from the Knickerbocker News, shows the five buildings destroyed by the fire, although the last two--332 and 334--are barely visible through the smoke.

Of the five buildings lost in the fire, only one was replaced: 330. Leo Hodowansky rebuilt his restaurant as a single story building, which later became Harold's Lounge.

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