At 10:48 am on February 7, 1904, Baltimore’s great fire started with an explosion at the Hurst company building on the western side of the city. Just over twenty-four hours later the flames were under control, but most of downtown was destroyed with few structures surviving the intense heat. The conditions were so extreme that entire city blocks were gutted, while others were spared as the fires swept over them. Remarkably, City Hall, the Courthouse and the Old Post Office were left untouched. Nobody was killed in the massive blaze and Charm City rebuilt rapidly, using the opportunity to improve the town’s design.
The Great Fire of 1904 marker (Map) is located on the west side of the Port Discovery building. The Center Market Commission marker and Booth fountain are nearby.
