In 1883, a fire tore through several blocks of Ocala, destroying buildings and homes en route to causing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage and ushering in the creation of “The Brick City.”
On November 29, 1883, approximately 2,000 individuals welcomed three special trains from the Florida Southern Rail Road to the Ocala area. According to records maintained by the city of Ocala, later that day, a fire broke out on top of Benjamin & Company, a two-story frame store located at the southeast corner of Main Street and Ocklawaha Avenue.
As bucket brigade efforts began, the fire quickly spread to Snowden’s Drugstore, which was located south of Benjamin & Company, before it engulfed the Ocala House Hotel. After the hotel, the flames destroyed Schlosser’s barber shop and all the buildings located on the east side of Main Street between Broadway and Fort King Avenue.
The wind shifted and the fire turned westward across Main Street, destroying two more blocks to Orange Street.
As it raged, the fire consumed the office of the former Banner, which is the predecessor to the Ocala StarBanner (Ocala-News.com has no affiliation with either publication), as well as the home of its editor.
The fire went on to burn the Palace Hotel, the home of Dr. Thomas Gary, James H. Whitfield’s boarding house at the end of Fort King Avenue, and another dwelling and a mill that processed moss from oak trees for various uses.
Additionally, all of the buildings on the east side where SE 1st Avenue is currently located, from Silver Springs Boulevard to Fort King Street, were destroyed by the fire.
In total, approximately ten stores were consumed by flames, and four blocks of the business district were left in ashes or with only blackened chimneys.
According to the city, the estimated losses caused by the fire at the time were approximately $350,000.
In 2024, that amount would equate to nearly $11,000,000 in losses.
The fire left many residents homeless and destroyed numerous records and newspaper files that contained a large portion of Ocala and Marion County’s early history.
According to city records, the town began to rebuild “almost immediately” after the fire, with frame buildings being replaced by brick, granite, and metal.
The city developed its brick-front store building type as a result of the availability and the desirability of brick masonry as a fireproof, relatively maintenance-free construction material.
Brick was commonly used in the construction of Masonry Vernacular buildings, but was used more prevalently in the northern part of the country than in the state of Florida, as it was not easily transported during the early years of the state’s existence when railroads were limited.
With the materials, large two and three-story brick stores that were deemed “modern” replaced the buildings that were destroyed by the fire.
Within five years, Ocala became known throughout the state as “The Brick City.”
The year following the fire, the city’s first two bank buildings were constructed, and the three-story Marion Opera House was erected at the southwest corner of Main Street and Broadway Street.
By 1884, the town had several wholesale warehouses and more than 25 retail establishments, as well as two mercantiles that were conducting private banking.
Additional structures were built on the south side of Broadway Street, between SE 2nd Avenue and Magnolia, including the Montezuma Hotel, Rheinauer’s store, the Union Block, and the Gary Block.
Within weeks of the incident, fire bonds were issued for $2,500 to be sold to raise needed funds to develop a fire department.
Less than two years later, on May 20, 1885, the Ocala City Council passed an ordinance establishing the Fire Department of the City of Ocala.
The volunteer firemen at the time were absorbed into the newly created fire department companies, which were named Marion Steam Fire Engine Company No. 1 and Ocala Hook & Ladder Company No. 1. The new department was helmed by William Fox, who was elected to serve as the city’s first fire chief.
In 2019, officials installed the city’s fire bell that was used during its early years in downtown Ocala.
To read more about the history of the city of Ocala, visit the city’s Downtown Ocala Historic Context and History webpage.
Information from this story was obtained from the City of Ocala, while photos were obtained from the Florida State Library and Archives.
